Japan joins int'l crackdown on malware-linked servers

In Japan, the NPA and others secured the safety of 129 domestic servers under the Interpol-led operation.

The operation was aimed at preventing information leaks to the source of the attack, by disabling servers used to relay unauthorized communications by the malware.

"We were able to prevent a considerable amount of damage," an NPA official said.

Interpol worked with law enforcement authorities from 26 countries in the Asia-Pacific region between January and April to take down more than 20,000 misused servers, based on suspicious communication information detected by security companies.

The operation led to the arrest of 32 people in Vietnam and elsewhere and the seizure of 41 servers.

The malware may have had over 216,000 victims in total.

In Japan, 174 infected servers were identified. In cooperation with 18 prefectural police departments, the NPA urged the operators of 129 servers to take action, working to analyze the source of the attack and the victims.