oregon Man Charged in Operation of Large-Scale DDoS-for-Hire Service
PORTLAND, OR – An Oregon man has been charged with aiding and abetting computer intrusions for his alleged role in operating “Rapper Bot,” a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack service. The Department of Justice alleges that the service allowed paying customers to overwhelm targeted websites and networks with traffic,disrupting online services and potentially extorting victims.
According to a complaint filed in the District of Alaska, where some infected devices were located, the defendant, identified as Foltz, allegedly operated Rapper Bot with an accomplice, Slaykings. The service leveraged a botnet – a network of compromised devices - to launch attacks, with the potential to generate significant income.
DCIS Special Agent peterson, who investigated the case, detailed testing the botnet’s capabilities during an interview with Foltz, estimating a 30-second, 2+ Terabit per second attack could cost a victim between $500 and $10,000, factoring in industry-standard rates for bandwidth and mitigation services. The complaint highlights the financial burden DDoS attacks place on victims, noting that preventative measures like overprovisioning or DDoS defense technologies can be “prohibitively expensive,” leaving them vulnerable to extortion.
Telegram chat records indicate Foltz discovered a previously unknown exploit allowing access to 32,000 new vulnerable devices just prior to a raid on his residence. He allegedly boasted to Slaykings that they had “the biggest botnet in the community” and anticipated a record-breaking day for income generated by Rapper Bot.Peterson observed messages detailing potential earnings escalating throughout the day, reaching promises of $800 and then $1,000.
When Slaykings expressed concern about Foltz potentially altering the botnet configuration, Foltz reportedly provided reassuring responses.
Foltz faces one count of aiding and abetting computer intrusions, carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison upon conviction. Though, prosecutors acknowledge a first-time offender is unlikely to receive such a sentence.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander.
