Most cybersecurity news is about new attacks. This month, there is good news to share about the people fighting back.
Operation Jackal IV
Law enforcement agencies from 22 countries spent the past year targeting criminal rings behind romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and Business Email Compromise fraud. Last month, Operation Jackal IV announced its results:
- 263 suspects identified
- 58 arrests
- 257 bank accounts blocked
- $2.67 million seized
Compared to the scale of global cybercrime, that is a small dent. Every arrest still means fewer criminals targeting businesses and families.
Microsoft takes down EvilTokens
In a separate action, Microsoft worked with U.S. law enforcement to shut down EvilTokens, a phishing service linked to more than 12,000 compromised mailboxes. Two men, ages 32 and 38, ran the operation and sold access to other criminals on the black market.
What made EvilTokens stand out was its use of AI. According to Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit, the tool worked like a chatbot that could study a victim’s inbox, find trusted relationships and payment approvals, suggest which fraud would most likely work, and even draft messages impersonating trusted contacts.
What this means for your business
Criminals now use AI to make phishing and email fraud more convincing. That makes strong email security, MFA and continuous monitoring more important than ever. Arrests help, but protection still starts with your own systems.
Is your email protected against AI-powered phishing? Contact Pegasus Technologies for a cybersecurity review.
