US seizes domains used in cyberattacks

(Reuters) — The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it had seized two Internet domains that had been used in spear-phishing attacks that mimicked email communications from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Justice Department said that it seized two command-and-control (C2) and malware distribution domains on May 28 after winning a court order to do so. The seizure was done in hopes of identifying groups that had been victimized and stopping future victimization.

Microsoft said last week that Nobelium, a Russian group which had been behind the SolarWinds cyberattack identified last year, had turned to targeting government agencies, think tanks, consultants, and non-governmental organizations.

“Friday’s court-authorized domain seizures reflect the FBI Washington Field Office’s continued commitment to cyber victims in our region,” said Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.