27 DDoS platforms closed

Law enforcement agencies around the world joined forces to shut down 27 platforms that provided DDoS services as part of Operation PowerOFF.

DDoS attacks, which aim to overload servers, often become more active during the holidays, resulting in financial losses and reputational risks for businesses.

This year, law enforcement agencies, including Europol, shut down 27 platforms known as “booters” and “stressors” that offered DDoS attacks as a service. Among the closed platforms were zdstresser, orbitalstress and starkstresser. Administrators in France and Germany were also detained, and hundreds of users were prosecuted. The operation covered 15 countries, including Australia, the United States, France, Germany and Sweden.

DDoS platforms as a service allow cybercriminals to attack websites and make them inaccessible to legitimate users. In previous years, such attacks have been common during the holiday season, when companies are least prepared for cyber threats. Disabling such platforms increases the security of companies and weakens the ability of hackers to organize attacks.