A hacking tool allowing cybercriminals to remotely and surreptitiously gain complete control over a victim’s computer is no longer available as a result of an UK-led operation targeting hackers linked to the Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Luminosity Link.
The tool was used across 78 countries and sold to over 8,600 buyers via a website dedicated to hacking and the use of criminal malware. Luminosity Link cost as little as EUR 40.00 and required little technical knowledge to be deployed.
This case was investigated by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and coordinated by the UK National Crime Agency with the support of Europol, this operation saw the involvement of over a dozen law enforcement agencies in Europe, Australia and North America.
The RAT, dubbed LuminosityLink, surfaced in mid-2015 and was marketed as a legitimate tool for Windows administrators and business owners to "manage a large number of computers concurrently".
Once installed upon a victim’s computer, a user of the Luminosity Link RAT was free to access and view documents, photographs and other files, record all the keystrokes entered and even activate the webcam on the victim’s computer – all of which could be done without the victim’s knowledge.
These joint actions were carried out back in September 2017, the details of which can now only be released due to operational reasons.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supported the countries in their efforts to identify EU citizens by providing analytical support and by facilitating information exchange in the framework of the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, hosted at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague.
Victims are believed to be in the thousands, with investigators having already identified evidence of stolen personal details, passwords, private photographs, video footage and data. Forensic analysis of a large number of computers and internet accounts seized continues.
The tool was used across 78 countries and sold to over 8,600 buyers via a website dedicated to hacking and the use of criminal malware. Luminosity Link cost as little as EUR 40.00 and required little technical knowledge to be deployed.
This case was investigated by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and coordinated by the UK National Crime Agency with the support of Europol, this operation saw the involvement of over a dozen law enforcement agencies in Europe, Australia and North America.
The RAT, dubbed LuminosityLink, surfaced in mid-2015 and was marketed as a legitimate tool for Windows administrators and business owners to "manage a large number of computers concurrently".
Once installed upon a victim’s computer, a user of the Luminosity Link RAT was free to access and view documents, photographs and other files, record all the keystrokes entered and even activate the webcam on the victim’s computer – all of which could be done without the victim’s knowledge.
These joint actions were carried out back in September 2017, the details of which can now only be released due to operational reasons.
Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supported the countries in their efforts to identify EU citizens by providing analytical support and by facilitating information exchange in the framework of the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce, hosted at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague.
Victims are believed to be in the thousands, with investigators having already identified evidence of stolen personal details, passwords, private photographs, video footage and data. Forensic analysis of a large number of computers and internet accounts seized continues.