The recent global police sting operation that targeted Genesis Market has brought the prevalence of cybercrime to light. The website, an exclusive and private marketplace, provided access to login credentials, autofill forms, browsing histories, and other sensitive information obtained from hacked devices. The FBI shut down the site, but not before compromising tens of thousands of devices belonging to 36,000 Australian citizens.
The Genesis Market
The Genesis Market was an invite-only website that provided access to sensitive information obtained from hacked devices. It had over 70,000 users worldwide, with approximately 36,000 compromised Australian devices available for sale on the site.
The FBI’s Crackdown
Thanks to the FBI’s crackdown, Genesis Market’s operations have ceased. At the time of its closure, more than 1.5 million computers, each containing information for dozens of accounts, including Netflix and Amazon logins, were available for purchase. The FBI located the administrators of the site in Russia and Asia.
The Arrests
Ten Australian citizens were arrested as part of the FBI’s crackdown. One of them, a man from Victoria, was accused of spending over A$56,500 purchasing information from the website. He is believed to be the most prolific purchaser of compromised information in the country.
Precautions
There is no link between the website and recent large-scale data-hacking incidents in Australia involving companies such as Optus, Medibank, and Latitude. However, the rise of cybercrime highlights the need for increased vigilance and awareness when it comes to online security.
Check Your Hack – Find Out if Your Data Was Compromised
If you are concerned that your personal information may have been compromised, you can visit www.politie.nl/checkyourhack to check if your information was available on Genesis Market.
