France, Netherlands dismantle VPN linked to cybercrime
France and the Netherlands, in collaboration with Europol, have dismantled a VPN service known as 'First VPN' that was used by cybercriminals. The operation, which took place on May 19-20, resulted in the takedown of 33 servers across Europe. This VPN was integral to various cybercrime activities, including ransomware attacks and data theft, and was heavily promoted on Russian-speaking forums.
- ▪The operation involved multiple countries, including Luxembourg, Switzerland, Romania, Ukraine, and Britain.
- ▪First VPN was used to conceal the identities of cybercriminals during attacks.
- ▪An administrator of the VPN was interrogated in Ukraine as part of the investigation.
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| Original publisher | Straits Times — World |
| Canonical URL | https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/france-netherlands-dismantle-vpn-linked-to-cybercrime |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 23:20:48 +0800 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T15:27:29.693Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T15:27:29.693Z |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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France, Netherlands dismantle VPN linked to cybercrimeSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxFirst VPN rerouted connections via a third party to avoid identification, and was promoted on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums.PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 21, 2026, 11:20 PMUpdated May 21, 2026, 11:23 PMListenSummariseFrance and the Netherlands, with Europol, dismantled "First VPN", a cybercrime service. They took down 33 servers across Europe on May 19-20.First VPN concealed cybercriminals' identities during ransomware attacks and data theft. It was promoted on Russian-speaking cybercrime forums.Europol stated First VPN was "deeply embedded in the cybercrime ecosystem," used in most major investigations.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.