In a remarkable operation, Australia's Federal Police (AFP) have pulled off a supply chain attack on the encrypted app Ghost, which gangs often use. Ghost, an app made for shady deals, came with a special smartphone and gave crooks a safe way to plan violence, clean money, and move drugs. The AFP's mission called Kraken, used a smart way to get in. By tweaking regular software updates sent to Ghost's devices, the AFP put in tracking software that showed them what the criminals were up to.
This operation had a big effect. It sparked 71 raids in four states leading to 38 arrests, the capture of 25 weapons, and the seizure of 200 kilograms of illegal drugs. On top of that, the AFP's intel helped them stop 50 planned violent acts. Operation Kraken's success also showed how Ghost was used by different criminal groups, including Italian crime rings and outlaw gangs. AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney pointed out how far-reaching the operation was saying, "We allege hundreds of criminals, including organized crime members from various regions, have used Ghost in Australia and overseas."
This operation shows we need to keep developing new ideas for cybersecurity as criminals get better at using advanced tools. How can we as law enforcement and cybersecurity experts stay one step ahead of these changing threats? Let us know what you think below!
#Cybersecurity #LawEnforcement #CyberCrime #Malware #DigitalForensics #AFP #OperationKraken
