Cybercriminals hit by Australian authorities supply chain sting

The Australian police pulled off a successful supply chain attack which resulted in the shutdown of a criminal communications network, the arrest of dozens of alleged criminals, and the seizure of illegal weapons and drugs.

Roughly nine years ago, a 32-year-old unnamed cybercriminal made a mobile app which they named Ghost. According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the app was "a dedicated encrypted communication platform built solely for the criminal underworld".

The criminal installed the app on modified smartphones, which they later sold to select individuals. The phone cost around $1,600, and apparently, more than 300 were active in Australia alone, at the time of the law enforcement operation. The criminal also maintained the app, pushing regular updates. At one point, the police managed to infiltrate the developer’s infrastructure and taint an upcoming update.

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