Seizure concerns the confiscation or disruption of devices, systems, or data, with implications for digital evidence, service access, and incident response.
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Background for this topic.
Seizure is the lawful taking or securing of devices, servers, domain names, accounts, cryptocurrency, or stored digital data by an authorized authority for an investigation or legal proceeding. In information-security reporting, the term usually concerns the acquisition of digital infrastructure or evidence, not a seizure-related medical event. Authorities may take physical equipment, redirect or disable online services, or obtain data from a provider under applicable legal process.
The security challenge is preserving evidence without changing it: investigators may document the chain of custody, isolate systems, and use forensic copies while protecting originals from alteration. Live systems can contain volatile evidence, while encryption, remote access, cloud tenancy, and deleted data complicate collection. Seized infrastructure may also contain unrelated customer or employee information, creating privacy and access-control obligations. For defenders, a seizure can interrupt services and signal an investigation; maintaining accurate asset ownership records, logs, backups, and documented legal or incident-response contacts helps establish what systems and data are affected.
Weekly headline count for the current query.
Coordinated action by FBI, Europol and others seizes infrastructure, makes arrests – and sends warning letters to known DDoS service users
UK, US and Canadian authorities have identified over 20,000 victims of approval phishing scams that trick users into handing over full crypto wallet access
A global operation has resulted in the takedown of popular cybercrime forum LeakBase
Microsoft revealed it has seized 338 websites associated with RaccoonO365, a phishing kit which has stolen at least 5000 Microsoft credentials worldwide
The US Department of Justice has announced the seizure of domains, servers and $1m in proceeds from the BlackSuit ransomware group
The federal government has applied for forfeiture of the funds, which were seized by FBI Dallas in April 2025
Operation Raptor also resulted in the seizure of $184m and a record amount of illegal drugs, firearms and drug trafficking proceeds
The DoJ has managed to recoup over $8m from scammers, stolen in romance baiting schemes
February’s Operation Henhouse resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of £7.5m
Interpol’s Operation Haechi V has led to the arrest of over 5500 individuals and seizure of $400m obtained via online fraud
Microsoft has seized 240 websites associated with the “ONXX” phishing-as-a-service operation, and has sued the developer of this service
The operation, orchestrated by Interpol, resulted in the arrest of 3950 suspects
Interpol says its HAECHI IV operation led to the seizure of $300m linked to cyber scams and thousands of arrests
Crypto funds are traced back to dozens of victims
Customs officers announce seizure of Piilopuoti server
Items dating back thousands of years recovered in new crackdown
Funds were taken in attack on Ronin Network
Investigators trumpet money laundering crackdown