A joint investigation team (JIT) between the Dutch and German authorities has taken down an organised crime group specialised in explosive attacks on Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). A total of nine suspects have been taken into custody as a result of this 18-month investigation coordinated by Europol and Eurojust. The criminals were producing step-by-step tutorials on how to blow up cash machines, and have been linked to at least 15 ATM attacks in Germany. The cash machines were blown open using homemade explosive devices, posing a serious risk for residents and bystanders. During one of the test runs of an explosion, one of the suspects died, with the other suspect getting seriously injured. Continue reading…

by Nigel Rizzo

Researchers have found a security flaw in Apple Pay with a Visa card in the digital wallet. The digital version of pick-pocketing works over the air even when the iPhone is locked. Although the new setting ‘express transit’ allows millions of people to pay without a card, it makes it easier for hackers to steal from your phone. The iPhone could be in a bag or in someone’s pocket and be charged without the owner’s consent and there is no transaction limit.

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In the early hours of 4 September, coordinated simultaneous actions in Basilicata (Italy) and in the Republic of Moldova resulted in the takedown of a criminal human trafficking network, saving nearly 90 victims from severe labour exploitation under horrid conditions. In the coming days, authorities will focus on tracing the victims of exploitation to provide legal assistance and protection. The joint action was the result of an intense investigative effort and structured international judicial cooperation during the past year coordinated through the Italian Desk at Eurojust in close cooperation with the Eurojust contact point in the Republic of Moldova at the General Prosecutor’s Office and with the support of Europol. Continue reading…

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the corporate landscape in the present, the new edition of ECIIA’s Risk in Focus Report highlights climate change as the rising risk of the future. The Risk in Focus 2022 tracks the risks facing organisations year-on-year as ranked by more than 700 Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) representing a range of organisations including leading businesses, public sector organisations and NGOs from across Europe. Climate change has been steadily moving up on the agenda, climbing four positions in the rankings since 2021 and seeing a 41% increase in CAEs who view it as a top five risk, putting it in the top ten for the first time. But, 7 in 10 (69%) of CAEs still don’t consider climate change as a ‘top five’ risk to business, and just one in 10 (12%) internal audit teams have said they are prioritising spending significant time and effort preparing for the ‘existential risk’ of climate change. So, we encourage organisations to act now to avoid disruption in the future. Continue reading…

On August 31st, the EU has reached a crucial milestone with 70% of the adult population now fully vaccinated. In total, over 256 million adults in the EU have now received a full vaccine course. Seven weeks ago already, the Commission’s delivery target was met, ahead of time: to provide Member States, by the end of July, with enough vaccine doses to fully vaccinate 70% of the adult EU population.

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Benoît Cœuré, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub,  gave a speech on Friday 10 September 2021 at the Eurofi Financial Forum, Ljubljana. We all experienced how the pandemic accelerated the shift to virtual events, but he was pleased that he could gather in person. Yet the world is not returning to the old normal. Payments are a case in point. The pandemic has accelerated a longer-running move to digital. Mobile and contactless payments are already part of our daily lives; QR codes and “buy now, pay later” options are gaining popularity; gloves, badges and Olympic uniforms with payment functions are being prepared for the Beijing Winter Olympics; and the tech-savvy generation will soon dream about money and payments for the metaverse. Continue reading…

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has fined DTCC Derivatives Repository Plc (DDRL) a total of €408,000 for seven infringements of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) regarding data confidentiality, data integrity, and direct and immediate access to data. The breaches relate to: granting certain asset managers access to data that they were not entitled to receive; setting up its IT system in a way which altered the substance of certain information reported to DDRL; and failing to provide regulators with direct and immediate access to relevant data. Continue reading…

Takedown of DoubleVPN makes it harder for criminal hackers to cover their tracks. This week, law enforcement and judicial authorities in Europe, the US and Canada have seized the web domains and server infrastructure of DoubleVPN. This is a virtual private network (VPN) service which provided a safe haven for cybercriminals to attack their victims. This coordinated takedown, led by the Dutch National Police (Politie), under jurisdiction of the National Public Prosecutor’s Office (Landelijk Parket), with international activity coordinated by Europol and Eurojust, has now ended the availability of this service.  Continue reading…

Judicial experts and practitioners in the field of cybercrime will focus on new trends in their domain and how to tailor investigations, during the 10th Plenary Meeting of the European Judicial Cybercrime Network (EJCN), which takes place today and tomorrow. The EJCN Plenary, hosted by Eurojust in an online format, will also give special attention to supporting victims of cybercrime. One of the particular topics in this regard is the recent taking down of the Emotet malware bot in a major cross-border operation with support from Eurojust and Europol. Continue reading…

The Commission is today laying out a vision to build a new Joint Cyber Unit to tackle the rising number of serious cyber incidents impacting public services, as well as the life of businesses and citizens across the European Union. Advanced and coordinated responses in the field of cybersecurity have become increasingly necessary, as cyberattacks grow in number, scale and consequences, impacting heavily our security. All relevant actors in the EU need to be prepared to respond collectively and exchange relevant information on a ‘need to share’, rather than only ‘need to know’, basis. First announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her political guidelines, the Joint Cyber Unit proposed today aims at bringing together resources and expertise available to the EU and its Member States to effectively prevent, deter and respond to mass cyber incidents and crises. Cybersecurity communities, including civilian, law enforcement, diplomatic and cyber defence communities, as well as private sector partners, too often operate separately. With the Joint Cyber Unit, they will have a virtual and physical platform of cooperation: relevant EU institutions, bodies and agencies together with the Member States will build progressively a European platform for solidarity and assistance to counter large-scale cyberattacks.
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