SINGAPORE: Authorities in Singapore have taken down more than 1,000 internet protocol (IP) addresses based in the country and believed to have been linked to cybercrimes.

Officers from the Cybercrime Command under the Criminal Investigation Department of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) worked with the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) to take down the IP addresses here.

This was part of a recent four-month operation across 26 countries led by the global police organisation Interpol and named Operation Secure, the police said in a news release on Wednesday (Jun 11). 

The operation against cybercriminal infrastructure was conducted from January to April this year. 

Law enforcement agencies from the 26 countries worked together to locate physical servers which it believed to be perpetuating malicious software (malware) known as "infostealers".

The operation involved mapping physical networks and executing targeted takedowns. 

The global effort led to the taking down of more than 20,000 malicious IP addresses and domains, the police said in its news release.

The malware is "designed to secretly infiltrate computer systems and steal sensitive information". 

The stolen data is then sent to a remote server controlled by the cybercriminals, said the police.

It added that the "takedown of the malicious IP addresses and domains linked to the infostealers", ceases the cybercriminal’s control over compromised systems and effectively disrupts cross-border criminal syndicates.

The police said that its active participation in the operation reinforces the force's commitment to safeguarding Singaporeans from increasingly sophisticated cybercrime. 

The strong engagement with Interpol also reinforces SPF’s goal to be a global partner in fighting cybercrime, it said.

"Such collaborations are essential to keeping Singapore safe and secure from threat actors operating under the anonymity of the internet."

“Our strong collaboration with key local and international partners in Operation Secure was a key success factor in dismantling these cybercriminal networks. 

"We will continue to work with CSA and other like-minded partners to protect Singaporeans and businesses from threats in cyberspace; and will spare no effort to disrupt cyber criminals and their operations," said Cybercrime Command Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Tay.