The FBI announced on Tuesday that the initiative implements priorities outlined in President Donald Trump’s executive order and Cyber Strategy for America.
The FBI said it has already carried out a broad range of enforcement actions against cyber threat actors in recent weeks. The agency has served search warrants, secured indictments, arrested suspects, dismantled criminal infrastructure, and seized millions in cryptocurrency.
The Boston division of the FBI announced that one of its operations targeted First VPN, a virtual private network service that claimed to help its customers navigate the internet with complete anonymity and privacy.
But First VPN’s service was designed to support cyber criminals, allowing at least 25 ransomware groups to use its service to carry out illegal activity.
Docks added that the mission of the national initiative is to make cybercrime harder and far less profitable .
According to FBI officials, Americans filed more than 1 million complaints last year with the FBI, reporting over $20 billion in losses to cybercrime and online fraud. The amount marks a 26 percent increase in losses in a single year, according to the agency.
The FBI stressed that cybercriminals are growing more sophisticated, targeting victims across the United States and around the world.