The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and its law enforcement partners recently seized the database of one of the world’s largest online forums for cybercriminals to buy and sell stolen data and cybercrime tools.
Law enforcement agents and officers in 14 countries conducted synchronized actions on March 3 and March 4 against LeakBase. Agents shut down LeakBase, posted seizure banners on LeakBase’s sites, sent prevention messages to LeakBase members, and seized the data and two of the domains used by the forum. Europol in The Hague hosted the effort that also included executing search warrants, arrests and interviewing suspect in eight countries.
“The takedown of this cyber forum disrupts a major international platform that cybercriminals use to obtain and profit from the theft of sensitive personal, banking and account credentials,” A. Tysen Duva, DOJ Criminal Division assistant attorney general, said.
The LeakBase forum had been available on the open web and in English. It contained a continuously updated archive of hacked databases including many from high profile attacks. Forum users could sell the information from stolen databases, and other sensitive business and personally identifiable information.
The forum had more than 142,000 members who sent each other more than 215,000 messages between members, according to an affidavit.