Cyber Crime Investigation: Major Cases of 2024–2025
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Think of every major cyberattack as a heist. Criminals move fast, covering their tracks, while investigators race to follow the trail of digital evidence. It’s a game of cat and mouse that now plays out across networks, devices, and even cryptocurrency wallets.
Cyber crime investigations are how law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals fight back, exposing how the perpetrators operate and, sometimes, catching them in the act. Let’s break down some of the biggest cyber investigations, and what we can learn from them.
Why cyber threat investigations matter
Cyber crime investigations bring together many disciplines. Computer forensics helps recover deleted files and trace hidden activity on compromised systems. Incident response teams move quickly to contain data breaches, while analysts comb through network traffic and dissect malware to understand how attackers gained entry and what they touched.
These touch points provide:
- Evidence to prosecute criminals
- Intelligence to protect national security
- Guidance for private sector defenders
- Insight into unnoticed suspicious activity
Cyber investigation services are crucial for preventing unauthorized access. And in the long run, they improve resilience against threats ranging from ransomware attacks to phishing schemes and identity theft.
Let’s look at some of the biggest investigations into online criminal activity.
The biggest cyber crime investigations of 2024–2025
The following cases show how cybercrime investigations have unfolded over the past two years. Some threats were eliminated, while others are ongoing. But all of them show how investigations can expose attackers… and shape future defenses.
1. Global tech-support scam takedowns
In mid-2025, India’s CBI, with support from the FBI, the UK’s NCA, and Microsoft, shut down a network of fake tech-support call centers operating out of Noida.
The group posed as legitimate service desks to defraud victims in the UK, Australia, Japan, and the EU, stealing an estimated $525,000 in the UK alone.
After 18 months of collaboration, investigators traced the money trail and seized digital evidence during raids, leading to arrests of key operators and the dismantling of the infrastructure behind the scam.
2. Russian espionage on critical infrastructure
In August 2025, the FBI and Cisco revealed a cyber espionage campaign run by Russia’s FSB unit “Static Tundra.”
The group exploited an old Cisco Smart Install vulnerability (CVE-2018-0171) to compromise unpatched routers and switches in telecom, education, and industrial networks worldwide.
Cyber investigators uncovered that attackers altered device configurations to maintain long-term access, raising serious national security concerns.
3. LockBit ransomware takedown
In February 2024, LockBit (once the world’s most prolific ransomware group) suffered a major defeat through Operation Cronos, a coordinated law enforcement campaign spanning 14 countries.
Agencies including Europol, the UK’s NCA, and the US Department of Justice seized LockBit’s primary servers, shut down 34 infrastructure nodes, and closed 14,000 rogue accounts.
Two arrests were made, and LockBit’s public leak sites were even hijacked to display law enforcement messages mocking the group.
While many affiliates remain active, the takedown showed how international partnerships can deliver a decisive blow to organized cybercrime.
4. Retail sector attacks in the UK
In April 2025, a wave of cyberattacks hit major UK retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods. It forced M&S to suspend online orders and click-and-collect services for nearly seven weeks and costing $400 million in operating profit.
In July, the NCA arrested four suspects aged 17 to 20, seizing their devices and charging them under the Computer Misuse Act, blackmail, money laundering, and organized crime statutes.
The attackers, linked to the DragonForce ransomware gang, used social engineering to breach third-party access and steal customer data. The takedown marks a high-priority move for UK investigators.
5. Hybrid sabotage campaigns in Europe
In March 2025, Europol warned of a rise in hybrid sabotage campaigns across Europe, where state-backed groups worked hand-in-hand with organized cybercriminal networks.
Investigations showed that Russian-linked actors were behind coordinated disruptions against hospitals and public institutions, while younger recruits were being drawn in via social media to carry out attacks.
For instance, in Germany, it revealed the truth of “script kiddies”, young people who were recruited and given the codes to carry out their own cyberattacks.
Rather than a single takedown, Europol’s findings stitched together patterns from multiple cases. But it still paints a picture of how espionage, sabotage, and criminal profit are impacting cyber safety in Europe.
Investigative techniques and tools
Behind every cyber crime investigation is a set of specialized tools and methods that turn raw digital traces into usable evidence.
- Computer forensics & digital evidence: Investigators recover deleted files, examine infected drives, and pull apart malware samples to see how attackers broke in. They also trace stolen funds through cryptocurrency transactions, following money across blockchain ledgers.
- Network traffic analysis: By reviewing logs and packet data, investigators can spot unusual patterns of activity, from repeated unauthorized access attempts to the delivery of phishing payloads.
- Social media monitoring: Many groups use platforms to recruit new members or boast about their exploits. Analysts track these spaces to understand how perpetrators communicate and to identify emerging suspicious activity.
- Certifications & training: Skilled cyber investigators often hold credentials such as GCFA (GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst) or CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator). These programs build expertise in forensic analysis, incident response, and courtroom-ready evidence handling.
- Public reporting resources: Victims play a role, too. In the US, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) lets people report internet crime, while the Department of Justice provides updates and resources on ongoing criminal investigations. These reports help law enforcement agencies connect cases across jurisdictions.
What this means for CISOs
The same clues that help law enforcement can help CISOs tighten their defenses, too. Monitoring for suspicious activity across networks, protecting personal data, and locking down third-party access are all lessons reinforced by recent cases.
Aligning with investigators is also important. When agencies share indicators from ransomware or phishing investigations, or when firms publish forensic findings on malware campaigns, those signals should feed directly into CISOs’ defense strategies, too.
Introducing CybelAngel’s special threat investigation services
When a security incident goes beyond the routine, CybelAngel’s Special Threat Investigation service delivers the intelligence needed to act decisively. Our REACT Team extends your resources with white-glove support, handling everything from urgent threat investigations to cyber due diligence assessments.
Drawing on deep expertise and a vast data lake, our analysts quickly cut through noise to uncover exposures, map threat actor activity, and provide clear, actionable insights. You’ll get rapid remediation and a confidential report to guide your next move.
FAQs
What is a cyber threat investigation?
It’s the process of uncovering how a cyberattack happened, who was behind it, and what systems or data were affected. Investigators combine technical analysis, intelligence gathering, and sometimes law enforcement to build a full picture.
How do law enforcement agencies gather digital evidence?
They collect logs, hard drives, and memory dumps from compromised computer systems, then use forensic analysis tools to recover files, track network traffic, and preserve evidence in a way that stands up in court.
What role does computer forensics play in solving cybercrimes?
Computer forensics allows investigators to reconstruct attacker activity, recovering deleted files, tracing malware, and mapping how hackers moved through a network. It turns technical artifacts into usable leads.
How can organizations support investigations into ransomware attacks?
They can report incidents quickly, preserve evidence instead of wiping systems, and share relevant digital evidence with trusted law enforcement agencies. Clear incident response plans make collaboration faster and more effective.
What is the Internet Crime Complaint Center and how does it work?
Known as IC3, it’s a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. Victims can file complaints through the gov website, which helps investigators spot trends, link cases across jurisdictions, and coordinate responses.
How do investigators trace cryptocurrency in cybercrime cases?
Even though crypto is pseudonymous, every transaction leaves a trail on the blockchain. Using forensic analysis tools, investigators can follow these trails, link wallets to known perpetrators, and sometimes seize stolen funds.
What certifications are useful for becoming a cyber investigator?
Popular certifications include GCFA (GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst), CCE (Certified Computer Examiner), and CFCE (Certified Forensic Computer Examiner). For those focused on incident response and digital forensics, CISSP or CHFI (Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator) is also widely recognized.
Conclusion
Cybercrime investigations solve cases, but they also change how we defend against the next attack. By turning digital evidence into intelligence, they give CISOs a clearer view of threats and a faster path to action.
With CybelAngel, you get that visibility in real time, before criminals make their next move. Take a look at its Special Threat Investigation services to learn more.
