Authorities Crackdown on Gameover Zeus and CryptoLocker

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has just announced that the FBI, Europol, and the UK National Crime Agency have worked together to crackdown on none other than those behind Gameover Zeus and CryptoLocker.

How’s that for a more Malware-Free World :)

Operation “Tovar” Cracks Down on Gameover Zeus and CryptoLocker

“Gameover Zeus” is a variant of the notorious financial Trojan Zeus, a potent malware designed to steal financial log-in credentials from users who bank online. Gameover is distinct because it has been centrally organized by hackers from Eastern Europe since October 2011, and because it uses P2P technology to build a botnet of zombie computers.

According to the DoJ, Gameover Zeus has infected approximately 500,000 – 1 million computers worldwide, allowing for $100 million in account theft.

The global investigation also revealed that the gang behind Gameover was leveraging the botnet to distribute CryptoLocker – the file locking ransomware which first emerged in September 2013 and which has infected an estimated 234,000 users worldwide.

The DoJ press release notes that authorities are also actively engaged in a separate effort to combat CryptoLocker, unconnected to the Gameover Zeus take down.

2 Week Disruption of Malware Networks – Now is the time to clean

Efforts from authorities have effectively disrupted the computer networks that tie Command and Control servers to infected zombie computers in the Gameover Zeus botnet. The separate campaign against CryptoLocker has also disrupted its distribution.

Authorities emphasize that this disruption will only last for an estimated 2 weeks, after which time cybercriminals will likely reorganize.

This means that if you think you may be infected by Gameover Zeus or CryptoLocker, now is the time to clean up your computer! That these malware have disconnected from their control structures is no guarantee for recovery, but it can greatly increase the odds of removal. If you think you might be infected, please contact our experts at the Help My PC is Infected! support forum as soon as possible. Support is free, even if you’re not an Emsisoft user yet.

Have a Great (Malware-Free) Day!

Interested readers can find more about Operation Tovar at the DoJ’s official website here.