Europol: Law enforcement shuts down 27 DDoS booters ahead of annual Christmas attacks


Law enforcement agencies worldwide have disrupted a holiday tradition for cybercriminals: launching Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks to take websites offline.

As part of an ongoing international crackdown known as PowerOFF, authorities have seized 27 of the most popular platforms used to carry out these attacks. Known as ‘booter’ and ‘stresser’ websites, these platforms enabled cybercriminals and hacktivists to flood targets with illegal traffic, rendering websites and other web-based services inaccessible. This multifaceted operation, coordinated by Europol and involving 15 countries, targeted all levels of those engaged in this crime.

Read more…
Source: Europol


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • U.S. Army Soldier Arrested in AT&T, Verizon Extortions

    December 30, 2024

    Federal authorities have arrested and indicted a 20-year-old U.S. Army soldier on suspicion of being Kiberphant0m, a cybercriminal who has been selling and leaking sensitive customer call records stolen earlier this year from AT&T and Verizon. As first reported by KrebsOnSecurity last month, the accused is a communications specialist who was recently stationed in South Korea. ...

  • UN General Assembly adopts milestone cybercrime treaty

    December 24, 2024

    The General Assembly on Tuesday adopted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, a landmark global treaty aimed at strengthening international cooperation to combat cybercrime and protecting societies from digital threats. The agreement on the legally binding treaty marked the culmination of a five-year effort by UN Member States, with inputs from civil society, information security experts, ...

  • ‘NetWalker’ Ransomware Attacker Gets 20 Years in Prison

    December 21, 2024

    Romanian national Daniel Christian Hulea pleaded guilty to computer fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy. NetWalker ransomware attacks often targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The attacker obtained nearly 1,600 Bitcoin ransomware payments as a result of his attacks, netting him and another affiliate about $21.5 million. Hulea is being ordered to forfeit these ...

  • Beware Feb. 3, 2025 – Diabolic Ransomware Gang Issues New Attack Warning

    December 21, 2024

    If you thought law enforcement had not only disrupted the LockBit ransomware operation, alongside trolling the criminal gang behind it but taken it out of business altogether, then you are likely in for a shock: LockBitSupp, the group’s alleged leader, has warned LockBit 4 will return next year. In fact, a dark web posting said the ...

  • Third member of LockBit ransomware gang has been arrested

    December 20, 2024

    U.S. prosecutors in New Jersey on Friday publicly announced charges against Rostislav Panev, 51, a dual Russian-Israeli national accused of being a key developer in the LockBit ransomware gang. Panev is currently in Israeli custody and faces extradition to the United States. LockBit is one of the most prolific ransomware gangs, accused of launching crippling data-stealing ...

  • How the ransomware attack at Change Healthcare went down – a timeline

    December 18, 2024

    A ransomware attack earlier this year on UnitedHealth-owned health tech company Change Healthcare likely stands as one of the largest data breaches of U.S. health and medical data in history. Months after the February data breach, a “substantial proportion of people living in America” are receiving notice by mail that their personal and health information was ...