FBI, International Partners Infiltrated Qakbot and Uninstalled Infected Systems

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Source: Europol

As part of an international operation known as Duck Hunt, the FBI announced it had taken down Qakbot, one of the world’s most notorious botnets responsible for extorting tens of millions of dollars from victims around the world that was instrumental in enabling cyberattacks against businesses and critical services, including hits on the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and hospitals run by Prospect Medical Group.

“The FBI neutralized this far-reaching criminal supply chain, cutting it off at the knees,” US Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray said in a statement. “The victims ranged from financial institutions on the East Coast to a critical infrastructure government contractor in the Midwest to a medical device manufacturer on the West Coast.

The FBI gained access to an online panel that allowed c…