Microsoft is using domain deletions to stop the activities of the Storm-1152 group, which sells fraudulent Microsoft accounts and security circumvention tools. 750 million Microsoft accounts have already been put up for sale, bringing the group millions in revenue.
Storm-1152 operates illegal websites and social media pages and sells fraudulent Microsoft accounts and identity verification software bypass tools on popular technology platforms. These services reduce the amount of time and effort criminals need to commit a variety of criminal and abusive behaviors online. To date, Storm-1152 has put around 750 million fraudulent Microsoft accounts up for sale, earning millions.
Microsoft's disruption strategy
On Thursday, December 7, Microsoft obtained a court order from the Southern District of New York to seize the US-based infrastructure and take websites used by Storm-1152 offline by seizing the domains. Analysis of Storm-1152's activities included detection, analysis, telemetry, covert mystery purchases, and reverse engineering to locate the malicious infrastructure hosted in the United States. Microsoft Threat Intelligence and the Arkose Cyber Threat Intelligence Research Unit (ACTIR) provided additional data and insights to strengthen our legal case.
As part of the investigation, Microsoft was able to confirm the identities of the actors leading Storm-1152's operations - Duong Dinh Tu, Linh Van Nguyễn (also known as Nguyễn Van Linh) and Tai Van Nguyen - based in Vietnam. The findings show that these individuals operated and wrote the code for the illegal websites, posted detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use their products in video tutorials, and provided chat services to assist those who used their fraudulent sites Use services. Microsoft has now filed a criminal complaint with US law enforcement authorities.
Continuous commitment to the fight against cybercrime
The current action is a continuation of Microsoft's strategy to target the broader ecosystem and the tools cybercriminals use to launch their attacks. Microsoft has also worked with other organizations in the industry to improve the sharing of fraud information and to further improve the artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms that quickly identify and flag fraudulent accounts.
While the current legal action will impact Storm-1152's operations, Microsoft expects other threat actors to adapt their techniques as a result. Continued collaboration between the public and private sectors remains essential if Microsoft is to continue to effectively mitigate the impact of cybercrime.
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