European authorities arrest alleged admin of notorious Russian crime forum XSS

In a significant move against cybercrime, European law enforcement officials have apprehended the suspected administrator of XSS.is, a notorious Russian-language cybercrime forum known for its long-standing operations. The arrest took place in Ukraine on Tuesday, as confirmed by Europol. In a recent update, authorities announced that the domain has been seized, marking a critical step in the fight against online criminal activities. Prosecutors in Paris revealed that they secured a court order allowing surveillance of a Jabber server utilized by the forum's administrator for real-time messaging. The intercepted communications unveiled a range of illicit operations linked to cybercrime and ransomware, shedding light on the underground economy. Investigators have traced at least $7 million in illicit proceeds connected to these activities. With more than 50,000 registered users, XSS was a central hub for the exchange of stolen data and hacking tools. The data collected during this operation will assist in ongoing investigations, as stated by Europol, further emphasizing the collective effort to combat cyber threats across Europe.