As a result of a long investigation conducted by French authorities in cooperation with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and Europol, the administrator of xss.is, one of the most influential Russian-language cybercrime platforms in the world, was arrested. Over the course of 20 years of his illegal activities, the cybercriminal earned over 7 million euros.
As a result of a long investigation conducted by French authorities in cooperation with Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and Europol, the administrator of xss.is, one of the most influential Russian-language cybercrime platforms in the world, was arrested. Over the course of 20 years of his illegal activities, the cybercriminal earned over 7 million euros.
The forum, which has more than 50,000 registered users, served as a key marketplace for stolen data, hacking tools and illegal services. It has long been a central platform for some of the most active and dangerous cybercrime networks, used for coordination, advertising and recruitment, Europol said .
The cybercriminal was arrested in Kyiv on July 22. He was not only a technical operator, but also played a central role in facilitating criminal activity. Acting as a trusted third party, he resolved disputes between criminals and ensured the security of transactions. He is also believed to have run thesecure.biz, a private messaging service tailored to the needs of the cybercriminal underground.
Through these services, the suspect earned over €7 million in advertising and promotion fees. Investigators believe he was active in the cybercrime ecosystem for almost 20 years.
The investigation was initiated by France in 2021. In September 2024, the case entered the operational phase in Ukraine.
The extracted data will now be analyzed to support ongoing investigations across Europe and beyond.
