Security News > 2022 > December > Sting op takes down 50 DDoS-for-hire domains, seven people collared

In addition to a total of seven suspected booter site administrators detained thus far, "Further actions [are] planned against the users of these illegal services," the European cops said.

While some of the sites claimed to offer "Stresser" services, ostensibly to help organizations test whether their networks could withstand a DDoS flood, after reviewing "Thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers; these communications make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers," according to an FBI affidavit [PDF] filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the sites.

The ads aim to deter would-be cybercriminals searching for DDoS services and to educate the public.

In addition to the DDoS domain takedowns, authorities in the US filed charges against six defendants who each allegedly operated at least one booter website.

John M. Dobbs, 32 of Honolulu, Hawaii, who is charged with aiding and abetting violations of the computer fraud and abuse act related to the alleged operation of a booter service named Ipstressor.com, also known as IPS, between 2009 and November 2022.

Joshua Laing, 32, of Liverpool, New York, who is charged with aiding and abetting violations of the computer fraud and abuse act related to the alleged operation of a booter service named TrueSecurityServices.io between 2014 and November 2022.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/12/15/ddos_sites_takedown_fbi_europol/