Technology21 May 2026SEO 801 min read

Analysis: Law enforcement shuts down VPN service used by two dozen ransomware gangs

An international coalition of law enforcement agencies announced Thursday that they took down a popular virtual private network service used by cybercriminals…

An international coalition of law enforcement agencies announced Thursday that they took down a popular virtual private network service used by cybercriminals and arrested its administrator. The FBI said in an alert that First VPN was so popular that “at least” 25 ransomware gangs used the service to hide their malicious activity. Cybercriminals also relied on the VPN to scan the internet, run botnets, launch distributed denial-of-service attacks, and for running scams. First VPN operated…

Why this update matters

This developing story is relevant for readers tracking technology because it reflects fresh changes from the original source and signals where attention is shifting next.

Key details

The report was collected automatically and prepared for publication with a newsroom workflow that focuses on clarity, search visibility, and quick understanding.

Readers should review the original source for direct statements, official notices, and any later corrections or additions as the story evolves.

Related coverage

Continue reading with more reporting from the same topic cluster.

AnalysisLawenforcementshutsdownVPNserviceused