Europol has disclosed the disruption of 27 widely used DDoS-for-hire services, or booters — including zdstresser[.]net. starkstresser[.]net, and orbitalstress[.]net — as part of the international law enforcement operation PowerOFF ahead of the expected deluge of DDoS intrusions this holiday season, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
PowerOFF, which was conducted alongside U.S., UK, Canadian, Finnish, Brazilian, and Australian law enforcement agencies, also resulted in the arrest of three DDoS booter admins and the discovery of 300 users, according to Europol. "We know that Booter services are an attractive entry-level cybercrime, and users can go on to even more serious offending. Therefore, tackling this threat doesn't just involve arresting offenders, it includes steering people away from straying into cybercrime and helping them make the right cyber choices," said UK National Cyber Crime Unit's Frank Tutty. Such a development comes amid a recent string of Europol-coordinated action against illicit cyber activity, including the dismantling of the cybercrime-enabling Matrix encrypted messenger.
