Europol, Microsoft and Symantec take down Ramnit botnet

Cyber criminals had been using 3.2 million infected PCs to steal personal data

The Ramnit botnet, which had infected 3.2 million computers around the world, has been taken down in a coordinated joint international operation by Europol's European Cybercrime Centre and a number of high-profile internet and web security firms.

Ramnit was used by cyber criminals to gain remote access to computers, infecting them by disabling anti-virus protection and enabling the theft of personal details including banking information and passwords.

The malware, which targeted Windows operating systems, embedded itself into computers by directing users to spam email links or through stealing data from infected websites.

In order to take Ramnit's command and control servers down, Europol partnered with Microsoft, Symantec and AnubisNetworks and redirected the target of the attacks to the botnet's own internet domain addresses.

"This successful operation shows the importance of international law enforcement working together with private industry in the fight against the global threat of cyber crime," said Europol deputy director of operations, Wil van Gemert.

"We will continue our efforts in taking down botnets and disrupting the core infrastructures used by criminals to conduct a variety of cyber crimes.

"Together with the EU Member States and partners around the globe, our aim is to protect people around the world against these criminal activities."

Europol has previously stressed the importance of collaboration in the fight against cyber crime, with partnerships between law enforcement, private web security firms and academic researchers "the only way to go", according to Paul Gillen, head of operations for Europol's European Cybercrime Centre.

In order to ensure Ramnit is truly defeated, Microsoft and Symantec have both released a remedy to clean and restore infected computers' defences.

Microsoft has previously worked with the authorities to take the fight to cyber criminals, last year aiding in the liberation of 4.7 million PCs infected by Bladabindi and Jenxcus malware.