Darknet Diaries · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Jack Rhysider detailed the creation and takedown of Blackshades, a remote access Trojan sold online for forty dollars that allowed attackers to secretly control victims' computers. Law enforcement executed a massive global operation resulting in multiple arrests, including co-creators Alex Yucel and Michael Hogue, as well as employee Brendan Johnston.
“We have charged three key members of the Blackshades organization, as well as two cybercriminals in the New York area who purchased the software and used it to victimize hundreds of innocent people.”
“The combined efforts of the FBI and foreign law enforcement marks the Blackshades takedown as one of the largest global cyber operations in history.”