Security News > 2020 > January > Interpol Announces Successful Operation Against Cryptojacking in Southeast Asia
Interpol announced on Wednesday that it has coordinated an international operation aimed at removing illegally installed cryptocurrency miners from routers located in Southeast Asia.
The operation was launched in June 2019 and participants worked over a five-month period to identify compromised routers, alert victims, and install patches that would prevent cybercriminals from controlling the devices.
Trend Micro and others reported in August 2018 that hundreds of thousands of MikroTik routers around the world had been infected as part of a massive cryptojacking campaign.
Over 20,000 of the compromised MikroTik routers were found in the ASEAN region and Interpol reported that the number was reduced by 78% as a result of Operation Goldfish Alpha, and efforts to clean up the remaining devices continue.
Interpol pointed out that the operation also increased awareness of cryptojacking among law enforcement organizations, as well as showing them how these types of threats can be identified and mitigated.