--- title: FBI, Global Raids Underway Against "Blackshades" Hacking Ring description: After months of investigation, law enforcement officials in the U.S., Europe and Asia are cracking down on a hacking network employing a computer program known as “Blackshades,” which can be used as malware to control the computers of unwitting people canonical: https://time.com/103563/fbi-global-raids-underway-against-global-blackshades-cybercrime-hackers/ author: Massimo Calabresi article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-05-17T00:41:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T07:54:07.430Z article:section: Politics og:title: FBI Raids Underway Against Global "Blackshades" Hacking Ring og:description: "Blackshades" program users targeted for alleged hacking of computers around the world og:url: https://time.com/103563/fbi-global-raids-underway-against-global-blackshades-cybercrime-hackers/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: FBI Raids Underway Against Global "Blackshades" Hacking Ring twitter:description: "Blackshades" program users targeted for alleged hacking of computers around the world twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Global Raids Underway Against "Blackshades" Hackers  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. May 17, 2014 12:41 AM UTC  by [Massimo Calabresi](https://time.com/author/massimo-calabresi/)  ## Massimo Calabresi Calabresi is TIME’s Washington bureau chief. May 17, 2014 12:41 AM UTC The FBI and law enforcement officials in countries around the world launched a massive, coordinated series of raids late this week against users of a computer program known as “Blackshades,” officials familiar with the busts tell TIME. The raids took place in more than a dozen countries, and involved the arrest of dozens of suspects, according to the officials. Several U.S.-based suspects charged in the investigation were still being sought, the sources said. The “Blackshades” program is sold legally around the world but can be used as malware to control the computers of unwitting people, collecting their personal information and hijacking their computers for illegal attacks. In at least some of cases, the hackers allegedly took private online account information from users, one official familiar with the investigation said. The investigation was months in the making and involved law enforcement agencies in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America. The U.S. charges are still sealed. The raids were first reported on [websites](http://thehackernews.com/2014/05/fbi-raids-blackshades-rat-malware%5F16.html) [frequented](http://cyberwarzone.com/breaking-international-police-hunt-blackshades-malware-buyers/) by hackers and subsequently by the [Wall Street Journal](http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303409004579566310503798566?mg=reno64-wsj). 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