Genesis Market, one of the largest data and identity theft service was shut down on the 4th of April as a result of a law enforcement operation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (United States) and the Dutch National Police (Netherlands) with the cooperation of 17 countries including France, Canada and the United Kingdom among others. As per the data released by Europol in a press conference, 119 arrests, over 200 property searches and about 100 door to door interrogations followed the takedown of this infamous resource.
Threat to public information:
This invitation only service was popular among cyber criminals who acquired ‘bots’ which provided login information, browser fingerprints and other data in real time. The hackers were also made aware of any change in login information giving them a prolonged access to stolen accounts and data. The affordable pricing was also a contributor to its popularity in the cyber crime world, the price of particular bot was subject to the nature of the information. Genesis provided criminals with not only stolen user data but also accessories to support illegal operations; a custom browser was provided to their clients which aped the victim’s browser allowing them to access accounts and other data without setting off any security measures. The 1.5 million bots and over 2 million identities available before it was shut down are testaments to the threat it posed to important data of people all over the world. The Dutch National Police has created a portal ( https://www.politie.nl/en/information/checkyourhack.html ) which can be used to check if you were one of the many victims of this dangerous service.
Reclaiming Access to your data:
Once you enter your email on the portal, the Dutch Police will notify you via email if you were ever listed on the platform. There are some steps that you could take to reclaim complete access to your accounts even if it was compromised. Although what was compromised earlier might still be available to the criminals, the data that is collected later in time will be secure. It is advisable to:
- Run your antivirus software and allow it to remove any viruses from your device, then change your login information.
- Notify your insurance company, bank and other relevant people about the same.
What’s Next:
The takedown of this identity theft giant is a major success for the countries involved but how beneficial it will be in the long run is yet to be seen. If any person who was majorly responsible for running the logistics of the platform is able to escape law enforcement, it’s possible for him to start operations again under a different name. Currently, other organizations which provide similar services will see a hike in demand.
