International crackdown takes bulletproof hosting provider offline, exposing data on more than 3,000 customers
No hosting provider is untouchable.
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- Dutch police seized dozens of Virtualine servers at a data center in Limburg.
- Authorities obtained data on more than 3,000 customers allegedly using the service for criminal activity.
- Police say Virtualine supported ransomware, phishing, botnets, information-stealing malware, and child sexual abuse material distribution.
- The FBI and German police helped seize cryptocurrency and disrupt Virtualine’s infrastructure internationally.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
The Dutch National Police have seized dozens of servers belonging to a company that provided so-called bulletproof hosting services.
The case revolves around a company called Virtualine, which advertised its services to criminals on a cybercrime forum called HackForums in June 2025.
Virtualine promised its customers complete anonymity and pledged that it would ignore complaints and requests from law enforcement agencies.
According to the Dutch National Police, the company was engaged in bulletproof hosting and provided services to criminals. Allegedly, the hosting facilitated ransomware attacks, botnets, infostealer malware, phishing kits, and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) since 2022.
The hosting company is accused of being complicit in facilitating cybercrime. The Dutch National Police’s Cybercrime Team has seized dozens of servers that were located in a data center in Limburg.
As a result, authorities obtained data and information belonging to more than 3,000 customers who used these servers for their criminal activities. The seized data will be used for further police investigations.
In addition, the seizure of the physical servers resulted in hundreds of virtual servers being taken offline.
During the Dutch operation, the FBI and German police targeted the suspects, seized cryptocurrency, and disrupted the infrastructure on an international scale. Among other things, Virtualine’s domain name has been seized.
“The funds Virtualine’s criminal customers paid to Virtualine, some of which can be traced directly to various criminal groups, were received by Virtualine and then further laundered to conceal the origin of the funds,” the FBI says in a statement.
“Although the vast majority of the Dutch hosting sector does indeed take measures to prevent criminals from using their services, there is also a segment that unwittingly (bad hosting) or intentionally (bulletproof hosting) facilitates fraudulent activities,” the Dutch National Police states.
In an attempt to turn the tide, the Dutch government says it works closely with international authorities and maintains contacts with leading companies within the internet sector.
