On Thursday, an international coalition of law enforcement agencies announced the takedown of First VPN, a virtual private network service widely used by cybercriminals, including at least 25 ransomware gangs. The FBI reported that First VPN facilitated various illegal activities such as scanning the internet, operating botnets, and launching distributed denial-of-service attacks. It operated servers across 27 countries and was integral to many major cybercrime investigations supported by Europol. The service not only offered anonymous connections but also provided cybercriminals with anonymous payment options and hidden infrastructure tailored for illicit activities. Europol noted that First VPN had become a staple in the cybercrime ecosystem, with its advertisements appearing on known cybercrime forums, including Russian-speaking marketplaces. Following the takedown, users of the service were notified that their identities had been exposed, thanks to investigators accessing the user database. The operation culminated in the arrest of the VPN's administrator and the dismantling of dozens of servers, marking a significant victory against cybercrime.