Recent reports indicate that earlier this month, law enforcement authorities managed to take down a website that was providing DDoS-for-hire services. The authorities were able to gather information about the site’s illicit clients before shutting it down.
Anyone who visits the DigitalStress site today will no longer find boasts about its ability to “stress-test networks easily” for a monthly fee starting at $80, along with guarantees of “no logging.”
Instead, visitors will be greeted with a familiar landing page commonly seen on cybercriminal websites seized by authorities as part of “Operation PowerOff.”.
One part of the message states:
The National Crime Agency has collected significant data from visitors to this website. This information will be shared with global law enforcement agencies for necessary action. Individuals in the UK who interacted with this platform will be contacted by law enforcement.
Operation PowerOFF remains committed to combatting the DDoS-for-Hire market, ensuring that users are held responsible for their criminal actions.
Operation PowerOff is an active, long-term international law enforcement initiative targeting “booter” websites that facilitate easy launching of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, disrupting access to legitimate websites.
Simultaneously, authorities in Northern Ireland have apprehended a suspect believed to be “Skiop,” one of the administrators of the DigitalStress website.
Individuals contemplating launching a DDoS attack should pay attention to a warning posted by the NCA on the now-seized DigitalStress site:
The National Crime Agency has been, and may continue to operate, similar services to this website.
In March 2023, UK police disclosed that they simulated phony DDoS-for-hire platforms to gather intelligence on cybercriminals.
As outlined in its official statement on the DigitalStress takedown, the NCA “clandestinely accessed communication channels used for planning DDoS assaults.”
The NCA even issued a warning on Telegram, a platform favored by cybercriminals, declaring, “we are constantly monitoring you.”
“Together with our law enforcement partners, we will persist in disrupting the operations of individuals who exploit cyber technologies for destructive purposes, whether locally or globally,” stated Detective Chief Inspector Paul Woods from the Police Service of Northern Ireland. “Today’s announcement should serve as a clear warning to all cyber criminals that, regardless of motives or methods, you are not beyond detection and investigation.”
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