A Maltese national has been arrested for allegedly targeting users in Australia and other countries with a remote access trojan or RAT, in a joint operation involving the Australian, Federal Police, Europol and the FBI.
A statement from the AFP on Tuesday said the individual, 27, had been arrested on 7 February by the Maltese police force after intelligence had been provided by the AFP.
The trojan, known as Warzone, is claimed to have been distributed to other cyber criminals, "allowing them to bypass security and remotely access computers without the victim’s knowledge, browse file systems, record keystrokes, steal usernames and passwords and even access Web cameras".
The AFP said its Cyber Command had "assisted in the identification of persons of interest and the co-ordination of intelligence related to the criminal network after identifying Warzone as an emerging cyber threat in 2020.
{loadposition sam08}"The joint operation also targeted the infrastructure of the network, shutting down sites and host servers to limit the software being used by more cyber criminals in the future".
The website which was distrubuting the Warzone trojan. Courtesy AFP
AFP commander Chris Goldsmid said: "These criminals are not bound by traditional borders, which means law enforcement agencies have to unite to make a lasting impact.
"This operation is an example of what the AFP’s International Network can accomplish with partners like Europol and the FBI."
He said this was not the end of the investigation. "...with the intelligence we have gathered we will be working with our partners at Europol and the FBI to track down those who have purchased this software."
“For a small cost, individuals with nefarious intentions could purchase software that would allow them to gain access to a victim’s computer and personal information,” Goldsmid said.
“Cyber crime is increasing in scale and frequency and it is important the public takes proactive steps to keep their personal information safe.”