The FBI has shut down one of the world's largest cybercrime platforms.

Image Credit: The 420 In a global police operation, Genesis. Market, a significant dark web marketplace for stolen personal data, was taken offline. the Genesis website. The market has been vandalized, and in its place, the standard FBI notice reading "This Website Has Been Seized" has been put. The notice also features the emblems of a dozen law enforcement organizations, indicating that police units from several nations, including Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, and others, were likely involved in the operation. It appears that Europol was also involved. All of the information about the seizure has thus far come from media accounts because neither the FBI, its parent body, the Department of Justice, nor Europol have made an official comment regarding it. What is known is that the takedown operation's codename was "Cookie Monster," most likely a pun given the type of data that thieves exchanged on Genesis.Cookies from web browsers. In addition to browser cookies, hackers might purchase digital fingerprints, login credentials, and other information that was illegally obtained through hacks and data breaches. Image Credit: Trend Micro According to CNN, Genesis.Market was a forum on the dark web that could only be accessed by invitation. It "played a key role" at the time in enabling hackers access to compromised machines, which they then used to commit identity theft or ransomware assaults. Hackers were not limited to using Genesis.Market to buy stolen products. A subscription service was available on the website, which delivered up-to-date details on the people being tracked. According to cybersecurity experts Sophos, "Genesis customers aren't making a one-time purchase of stolen information of unknown vintage; they're paying for a de facto subscription to the victim's information, even if that information changes." Read More: Google Claims War Between Russia and Ukraine Altered Cybercrime Ecosystem; TAG Analysis This year, the FBI has been busy shutting down some of the most important underground forums. It took down BreachForums earlier this year, which was possibly the most well-known community for hackers worldwide. Additionally, one person who is now suspected of running the website was arrested.