Cybercrime-as-a-service draws legal action after Microsoft takedown

Microsoft said it took down an alleged cybercrime-as-a-service marketplace called RedVDS and reported Canada was one of the most targeted countries.

Microsoft announced legal action this week against an online service it says helped fuel global cybercrime, and said Canada was among the most targeted countries. The company named the service RedVDS and described it as a subscription platform offering low-cost, disposable servers running pirated software. Microsoft said its digital crimes unit filed civil lawsuits in two jurisdictions and worked with law enforcement in a third, which it said led to a takedown of the marketplace. The company framed the action as part of a broader effort to disrupt the infrastructure criminals use rather than focusing only on individual actors. Key details: - Microsoft alleges RedVDS provided disposable virtual servers running pirated Windows and that the service enabled phishing, scams and payment-diversion fraud tied to real-estate closings. - The company said it filed civil lawsuits in two jurisdictions and collaborated with law enforcement in a third, and that the marketplace was taken down as a result. - Microsoft reported that Canada was the second-most targeted country for activity linked to the service. - The tech firm said the action was one of many efforts by its digital crimes unit to disrupt online criminal infrastructure since 2010. Summary: Microsoft's action interrupted an alleged marketplace that it says enabled a range of frauds and other online crimes, highlighting how organized and service-like parts of the cybercrime ecosystem have become. Undetermined at this time.