Europol Stories

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Europol stories

Extortion and ransomware drive over half of cyberattacks

Over half of cyberattacks last year were driven by extortion or ransomware, with criminals focusing on financial gain rather than espionage, Microsoft reveals.

By Amy Hogan-Burney • 8 min read • Wed, 22nd Oct 2025

Global Stories

Europol stories

Malware

Ransomware attacks near record as groups consolidate

A smaller band of operators is driving most incidents, leaving companies facing fewer but more organised ransomware gangs.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Today

Malware

Group-IB named a Leader in Gartner cyberthreat report

The ranking could boost Group-IB’s profile with security buyers as Gartner’s new category highlights tools that spot cybercrime before attacks escalate.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Last week

Multi-factor authentication

Microsoft reports 8.3bn phishing threats as QR codes surge

QR code phishing climbed sharply in the quarter, exposing email users to more mobile-led credential theft despite disruption of major infrastructure.

By Sean Mitchell • 5 min read • Last week

Ransomware

Qilin drives 43% rise in ransomware attacks

Ransomware activity stayed elevated in March, with NCC Group saying Qilin alone was linked to 136 attacks and drove a 43% monthly rise.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • This month

Firewalls

AI is biggest cyber threat to CISOs, NCC Group warns

Businesses face rising exposure as AI is used to sharpen phishing, while insecure in-house tools and weak controls widen attack surfaces.

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Last month

Data Protection

Resemble AI launches deepfake detector & threat report

Users can now check suspicious images, video and audio in real time as concern mounts over AI-generated content spreading online.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Sat, 28th Mar 2026

Malware

US-led raid disrupts record DDoS botnets worldwide

US, Canadian and German authorities have dismantled four record-breaking IoT DDoS botnets that hijacked over three million devices worldwide.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Tue, 24th Mar 2026

Ransomware

Tycoon 2FA phishing service disrupted in major sting

Police and tech firms have dismantled Tycoon 2FA, a phishing service used to bypass MFA and hijack cloud accounts at industrial scale.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Mon, 9th Mar 2026

Marketing Technologies

Meta removes nearly 6m scam ads after DSA reports

Meta took down nearly 6m scam ads in 2025 after alerts from Lithuanian watchdog Debunk.org under the EU's Digital Services Act system.

By Kaleah Salmon • 4 min read • Sat, 7th Mar 2026

Ransomware

Microsoft & Europol disrupt global Tycoon 2FA scam

Microsoft and Europol have seized over 300 domains to disrupt Tycoon 2FA, a vast phishing-for-hire service bypassing MFA worldwide.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Fri, 6th Mar 2026

Ransomware

Tycoon 2FA phishing service disrupted in EU crackdown

European authorities and tech firms have disrupted Tycoon 2FA, a major phishing service used to bypass MFA and hijack cloud accounts.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Fri, 6th Mar 2026

Physical Security

Deepfake boom fuels relentless wave of celebrity scams

A deepfake surge is driving relentless AI-powered celebrity scams, with persona kits and adaptive fraud campaigns eroding online trust.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 5 min read • Fri, 16th Jan 2026

Malware

Cybercrime crackdown disrupts malware, exposes AI attack risks

Law enforcement and cybersecurity firms have disrupted major malware networks amid rising risks from AI-driven cyberattacks and escalating supply chain breaches globally.

By Sean Mitchell • 6 min read • Tue, 18th Nov 2025

Risk & Compliance

Instagram posts fuel surge in money mule recruitment schemes

Nearly 24% of Instagram posts tagged as 'quick-money' offers are linked to money mule recruitment, posing major challenges for law enforcement and platforms.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Thu, 13th Nov 2025

Malware

Cloudflare, Microsoft & police disrupt global malware service

Cloudflare and Microsoft, with global law enforcement, have disrupted LummaC2, a major malware service stealing data worldwide and used for cybercrime.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Thu, 22nd May 2025