The United States Justice Department announced the seizure of 13 domains associated with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks-for-hire, also known as “booter” or “stressor” services.
These seizures are part of an international law enforcement effort, Operation PowerOFF, to disrupt online platforms that allow anyone to launch massive DDoS attacks against any target for a fee.
Third wave of US law enforcement actions against booter services
The seizures are the third wave of US law enforcement actions against prominent booter services. These services enabled paying users to launch powerful DDoS attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from accessing the internet.
The FBI targeted stresser services in December 2018 when it took down 15 websites offering DDoS services. In December 2022, the FBI seized another 48 domains, with some registering new domains to stay online.
The complete list of seized domains is included below, and ten of the 13 domains seized this week are reincarnations of services that were seized in December.
FBI’s tests confirm the booters’ functionality
According to an affidavit, the FBI tested each of the booter services whose domains were seized by opening or renewing accounts with each of them and assessing the effects on target computers via DDoS attacks launched on computers controlled by the agency.
The tests confirmed the booters’ functionality, and some attacks took targeted devices offline, even though they were using high-capacity internet connections.
Defendants charged with federal crimes
Four defendants charged in late 2022 also pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges, admitting that they were either involved in or operated some of the booter services targeted by law enforcement.
These defendants, including Jeremiah Sam Evans Miller, Angel Manuel Colon Jr., Shamar Shattock, and Cory Anthony Palmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and violating the computer fraud and abuse act related to the operation of booter services.
Law enforcement’s recent seizures demonstrate their commitment to targeting booter service platforms, even though some previously taken down domains have resurfaced.
The FBI’s ongoing efforts to combat DDoS-for-hire services
The FBI and other international law enforcement agencies have been ramping up their efforts to combat DDoS-for-hire services in recent years. These services have become increasingly popular with cybercriminals looking to disrupt the online operations of individuals or organizations.
DDoS attacks can be extremely damaging, causing websites and other online services to become inaccessible, or disrupting critical infrastructure. These attacks can also be used as a smokescreen to distract security teams while hackers carry out other attacks.
To combat this growing threat, law enforcement agencies have been targeting the operators of these DDoS-for-hire services, as well as the infrastructure that supports them. This has included seizing domains and shutting down websites, as well as arresting and prosecuting individuals involved in the operation of these services.
While these efforts have been successful in disrupting many of these services, some have managed to resurface under new domains or with modified operations. The ongoing battle against DDoS-for-hire services highlights the need for continued vigilance and cooperation between law enforcement agencies around the world.
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