US says it and partners have taken down notorious 'Qakbot' hacking network

FILE PHOTO: A computer keyboard lit by a displayed cyber code is seen in this illustration picture taken on March 1, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. authorities on Tuesday said an international law enforcement operation had taken down the notorious "Qakbot" malware platform used extensively by cybercriminals in a variety of financial crimes.

First discovered more than a decade ago, Qakbot is commonly spread through malicious, boobytrapped emails sent to unsuspecting victims.