U.S. Leads Global Takedown of Four Major Botnets

The U.S. Justice Department announced Thursday it led a coordinated international operation with Germany and Canada to dismantle infrastructure behind four major botnets-Aisuru, KimWolf, JackSkid, and Mossad-that infected more than 3 million devices globally.

These botnets primarily exploited Internet of Things devices such as webcams, routers, and digital video recorders to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Targets included servers within the Department of Defense Information Network.

Kenneth DeChellis, special agent in charge at the Department of Defense Investigative Service, said the action underscores U.S. commitment to neutralizing cyber threats to national defense.

The operators executed hundreds of thousands of attacks, some accompanied by ransom demands. The takedown involved nearly two dozen tech firms, including Amazon Web Services, Google, PayPal, and Nokia, alongside Europol’s PowerOff team.