Trend Micro has disclosed details of its close co-operation with the FBI to identify, arrest and bring to trial the individuals linked to the infamous Counter Antivirus (CAV) service Scan4You.
Ruslans Bondars was found guilty as a result of the trial, while Jurijs Martisevs pled guilty in March 2018. The arrest and trial were the result of an exclusive investigative co-operation between Trend Micro researchers and the FBI.
Scan4You allowed cybercriminals to check the detection of their latest malware against more than 30 modern antivirus engines, enabling them to make attacks more successful.
Trend Micro began its research back in 2012 and collaborated closely with the FBI. The service went offline following the arrest of two suspected administrators in May 2017.
“As a leading voice and global citizen in the fight against cybercrime, we are always proud to support law enforcement globally,” says Ed Cabrera, chief cybersecurity officer for Trend Micro. “In this case our global threat intelligence network and team of researchers proved an invaluable resource for the FBI as it honed-in on this notorious CAV service.
“This is a big blow to cybercrime, helping to disrupt countless threat actors and prove there are consequences to their actions. We stand shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement in our efforts to secure the connected world.”
Trend Micro has a long history of co-operation with global law enforcement. To date, their investigative efforts have supported approximately 20 law enforcement cases around the world, including work with Interpol, Europol and the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Most recently, a multi-year collaboration with the NCA led to the successful conviction of the operator of notorious CAV service reFUD.me.