34 arrested in action targeting cyber attackers: Europol

The European Police Office (Europol) on Monday said police from over 10 European countries and the United States carried out a coordinated action targeting users of cyber-attack tools, leading to 34 arrests.

According to Europol's press release, 101 suspects involving the distributed denial-of-service attacks, which can make an online service unavailable, were cautioned during the action from Dec. 5 to Dec. 9.

The participating countries worked together in the framework of the European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats project targeting cyber-attacks that affect critical infrastructure and information systems in the European Union.

Europol supported the countries in their efforts to identify suspects in the EU and beyond, mainly young adults under the age of 20.

The operation aims to raise awareness of the risk of young adults getting involved in cyber crime.

Steven Wilson, head of Europol's European Cybercrime Center, said that many IT enthusiasts were involved in seemingly low-level fringe cyber crime activities from a young age, unaware of the consequences that such crimes carry.

"One of the key priorities of law enforcement should be to engage with these young people to prevent them from pursuing a criminal path, helping them understand how they can use their skills for a more constructive purpose," he added. Endit