FBI shuts down Genesis Marketplace, a popular site for selling stolen logins

Genesis Marketplace, a popular site used by malicious actors to buy and sell stolen login credentials, has been shut down by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The website's domain was seized by the FBI Tuesday. The domain now displays an image with a large banner stating "THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN SEIZED," followed by a message explaining the seizure as well as a contact email for individuals that may have more information about the site or its administrators.

Genesis Marketplace served as a hub to put black hat actors in touch with each other with the intent to distribute and/or acquire stolen login credentials, tools for hacking user accounts, browser fingerprints, and more. A major "product" sold on the site would allow malicious actors to impersonate users of various online services, including Twitter, Google's services, and a variety of cryptocurrency exchanges, among others. 

The takedown operation, named "Operation Cookie Monster," involved agencies from countries across the globe, including Canada, Australia, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and more. In addition to taking down Genesis Marketplace, 120 people were arrested related to the website.

The FBI has directed people to check if their login information has been compromised via Have I Been Pwned, a service that checks if an email address or phone number appears in the massive (and growing) list of hacks and data breaches. This is a handy and free service that enumerates the compromised websites your email or phone is used to log into, allowing you to change your login information where needed.

Buy a Yubico YubiKey 5Ci two-factor security key for PC, Android, and iPhones at Amazon.