Two British men have been arrested in connection with an international investigation into the unauthorized access of Microsoft networks.
Detectives from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU) arrested a 22-year-old man from Lincolnshire on suspicion of gaining unauthorized access to a computer, and a 25-year-old man from Bracknell under Computer Misuse Act offences.
Detective sergeant Rob Bryant from SEROCU’s Cyber Crime Unit claimed his team had been liaising closely with officers and colleagues in the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU), Microsoft’s cyber team, the FBI, Europol and the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU).
“This group is spread around the world and therefore the investigation is being coordinated with our various partners. We’ve made two arrests in the UK this morning and have seized a number of devices,” he explained in a statement.
“We are still in the early stages of this investigation and will work with our partners to ensure that cyber-criminals have no place to hide.”
The offences took place between January and March this year, but Bryant claimed it was too early to speculate on what info the group had accessed.
However, he reassured Microsoft customers that their personal details were safe.
A Microsoft statement claimed that the arrests mark an “important step” in the fight against cybercrime. It added:
“Stronger internet security depends on the ability to identify and prosecute cybercriminals. This requires not only a strong technical capability, but the willingness to acknowledge issues publicly and refer them to law enforcement. No company is immune from cybercrime…
"We have comprehensive measures in place to prevent, detect, and respond to attacks. We also have specialist teams focused on working with law enforcement to identify people who attack either us or our customers, and we're committed to fast and effective action against attackers."