Incident · Resolved

First VPN Takedown

2 stories since MAY 22

2: stories
JUL 13: latest

First reported: May 22, 2026
Latest: Jul 13, 2026

The story so far

First VPN, a service built for ransomware gangs and other criminals and sold on Russian-speaking forums for more than a decade, was taken down in May 2026 by an international operation led by France and the Netherlands that dismantled 33 servers. In July, the US Treasury sanctioned the service and its administrator, Dmytro Rashevskyi.

Written by the editors

Timeline · 2 stories

Oldest first ↓

MAY 22
PolicyAuthorities Disrupt First VPN Cybercriminal ServiceLaw enforcement is increasingly targeting the “infrastructure layer” of cybercrime, rather than ransomware operators themselves.LINDSEY O'DONNELL-WELCH · 2 MIN
JUL 13
PolicyUS Sanctions First VPN Cybercriminal ServiceFirst VPN has been active for more than a decade and is specifically designed for ransomware operators, fraud groups, and other cybercriminals trying to hide malicious activity from law enforcement.LINDSEY O'DONNELL-WELCH · 2 MIN

First VPN Takedown

The story so far

The Decipher Brief