Prevention is better than cure
A major international law enforcement operation has issued warnings to more than 75,000 individuals suspected of using illegal distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) services.
Europol and the US Department of Justice (DoJ), alongside partners in 21 countries, announced the initiative – part of Operation PowerOFF – together.
The coordinated week of action, which began on 13th April, focused on both enforcement and prevention.
Investigators sent tens of thousands of warning emails and letters to individuals believed to have used DDoS-for-hire services – platforms that allow customers to flood websites or servers with traffic, knocking them offline.
Authorities said the operation has already led to four arrests, 53 domain seizures and 25 issued search warrants.
Officials said the data obtained from previous seizures of cybercrime infrastructure had uncovered details of more than three million user accounts linked to such services.
“DDoS-for-hire is one of the most prolific and easily accessible trends in cybercrime, enabling individuals with little technical knowledge to follow step-by-step tutorials to execute criminal attacks,” Europol said in a statement.
Eight domains seized in the USA
US authorities said they had seized eight domains linked to DDoS services, including platforms known as Vac Stresser and Mythical Stress.
As per court documents, an undercover agent from the FBI purchased a subscription to one such service for $45 a month. The plan allowed simultaneous attacks on three targets, each lasting up to 40 minutes.
More expensive packages, costing up to $950 per month, offered prolonged attacks and the ability to target dozens of victims at once.
One platform claimed it had been used to launch more than 142 million attacks.
The US DoJ said victims included schools, government agencies, gaming platforms and critical infrastructure, affecting “millions of people” globally.
Infrastructure dismantled
Authorities said they had disrupted so-called “booter” services, the technical backbone of these attacks, by seizing servers, databases and other infrastructure.
This, they say, has significantly hindered the ability of criminals to continue operations and prevented further damage.
Law enforcement agencies have also turned to digital awareness campaigns as part of a broader prevention strategy. These include targeted advertisements on search engines warning users, particularly younger people, about the legal consequences of using such services.
More than 100 websites advertising DDoS tools have been removed from search results, while authorities have also sent warning messages via blockchain networks used for payments.
Officials say Operation PowerOFF involves coordinated actions across dozens of countries aimed at disrupting the DDoS-for-hire ecosystem.
The latest phase marks a shift towards prevention, with further campaigns expected.
Last month, a coordinated international operation dismantled online marketplace LeakBase, where cybercriminals traded stolen data.
LeakBase ran as a subscription-based marketplace where cybercriminals could buy and sell sensitive information. Users could also pay a one-time fee of several hundred dollars for premium access.
Last year, Europol announced the successful disruption of pro-Russian cyber gang NoName057(16), in a multinational crackdown.
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