British detectives set up several sites where cybercriminals could order so-called DDoS attacks. As a result, their data came into the hands of the police and they can expect a visit soon.
Thousands of digital vandals fell into the trap and created accounts on the bogus websites set up by British cybercriminals. It is not known whether Dutch cybercriminals have also been caught.
In a DDoS attack, a computer system is flooded with visitors, all of whom are sent to the target at the same time. This often happens with hijacked devices. The attack renders the site or server unreachable. Such attacks are easy to order online.
The National Crime Agency does not report how many decoy sites were created and how long they were active. “People who want to use such services can’t be sure who’s behind them. Why take the risk?” explains the purpose of the action.
At the end of last year, the American FBI took down about fifty sites where DDoS attacks could be ordered. This action was made possible with the help of the Netherlands. One of the decommissioned platforms is said to have been used for 30 million attacks.
