After an investigation lasting over a year, the Cybercrime Team of the Amsterdam police dismantled a bulletproof hosting provider. During the raid,127 servers were taken offline and seized by police officers.
The hosting company was called ZServers/XHost. According to the Dutch National Police, the company stood out because it advertised that online criminals were welcome to exploit criminal activities from its servers. The company promised that these servers would remain anonymous to law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, customers could pay anonymously for the hoster's services via cryptocurrency.
These kinds of hosting companies are often referred to as bulletproof hosters. They provide hosting services that promise to protect criminals from the police and other law enforcement agencies, helping them remain invisible on the internet.
This allows criminals to host and distribute ransomware and other malware and to host illicit content, such as child sexual abuse material (CSAM), without fear of server shutdown.
The raid took place on February 12th. During the operation, a total of 127 servers were taken offline. The investigation revealed that these servers contained ransomware, botnets, and other malicious software, including hacking tools from two infamous ransomware operations: Conti and LockBit.
No suspects have been arrested so far. Websites hosted on the confiscated servers have been made inaccessible. In accordance with the Public Prosecution Service, the Cybercrime Team of the Amsterdam police will continue to investigate the data found on the seized servers.
The Dutch National Police emphasize the dangers of bulletproof hosters. "A bulletproof hoster is not just any shadowy company that ignores rules; it is the backbone of global cybercrime. Without these 'safe havens,' many criminals would have nowhere to host their hacking tools, stolen data, and fake websites," the police said in a statement.
"Cybercriminals from all over the world pay a lot of money to have their illegal operations run here undisturbed. Bulletproof hosters ensure that malicious individuals can continue to hack, scam, and blackmail with impunity, and others pay the price for that," the announcement continued.
Last week, law enforcement authorities from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced sanctions against ZServers/XHost for facilitating ransomware attacks.
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