News brief: Hafnium, Scattered Spider hackers arrested

This week, international cybersecurity law enforcement took action against headline-making cybercriminals and state-sponsored threat actors.

Italian authorities detained an individual for allegedly working as a contractor for China's Ministry of State Security. He is charged with stealing COVID-19 research and exploiting Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities.

British police arrested four members of the Scattered Spider hacking group who allegedly partnered with the DragonForce ransomware group to conduct cyberattacks against major retailers.

Also this week, while not the direct result of a law enforcement takedown, two ransomware groups announced plans to shutter operations.

Read more about the week's takedowns and shutdowns.