Police Crack Down on ‘Diskstation’ Ransomware Hackers Behind Synology NAS Attacks

Italian State Police have successfully dismantled a dangerous international hacker group known as “Diskstation” following a complex investigation conducted in collaboration with French and Romanian national police forces.

The operation, coordinated by the Cybersecurity Operations Center in Milan, resulted in the arrest of key suspects involved in sophisticated ransomware attacks targeting numerous companies across the Lombardy region.

Multi-National Investigation

The investigation began following multiple complaints from Lombardy-based companies that had fallen victim to devastating ransomware attacks.

The Diskstation group employed advanced encryption techniques to lock corporate data systems, effectively paralyzing production processes and demanding substantial cryptocurrency ransoms for data recovery.

The Cybersecurity Operations Center in Milan, coordinated by the Postal Police and Cybersecurity Service, launched a comprehensive investigation under the supervision of the Milan Prosecutor’s Office.

Victims included professionals and companies operating in various sectors, including graphic production, cinematography, event organization, and international NGOs focused on civil rights protection and charitable activities.

The attacks demonstrated the group’s sophisticated understanding of cryptographic protocols and blockchain technology, enabling them to demand payments while maintaining anonymity through decentralized cryptocurrency networks.

Advanced Forensic Analysis

The investigation developed along two critical investigative fronts.

First, investigators conducted extensive forensic analysis of the compromised computer systems, employing advanced digital forensics techniques to trace the attack vectors and identify the malware signatures used by the Diskstation group.

Second, investigators performed detailed blockchain analysis to trace cryptocurrency transactions and identify the financial infrastructure supporting the criminal organization.

The technical investigation revealed sophisticated encryption algorithms and payload delivery mechanisms consistent with advanced persistent threat (APT) operations.

With coordination from EUROPOL (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation), a specialized task force was established involving French and Romanian national police forces, all working to identify the perpetrators behind the “Diskstation” signature attacks.

Legal Proceedings Following Bucharest Operations

The collaborative investigative efforts culminated in successful operations in Bucharest during June 2024.

Search warrants executed at suspects’ residences, with participation from Milan’s Cybersecurity Operations Center operatives, yielded substantial evidence confirming investigative hypotheses and resulted in several suspects being caught in flagrante delicto.

A 44-year-old Romanian citizen, identified as the primary suspect, was placed in preventive custody following a warrant issued by the Milan Tribunal’s investigating judge.

The suspect faces serious charges, including “Unauthorized access to computer or telecommunications systems” (Article 615-ter of the Italian Penal Code) and “Extortion” (Article 629).

The legal proceedings underscore the international scope of cybercrime prosecution and the effectiveness of cross-border law enforcement cooperation in combating sophisticated ransomware operations.

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