Authorities Seize DDoS-for-Hire Domains in Operation PowerOFF Crackdown

U.S. and international law enforcement agencies expanded Operation PowerOFF by seizing additional domains tied to DDoS-for-hire, or booter/stressor, services used to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks on demand. The U.S. Department of Justice said the FBI took control of 13 more domains linked to prolific platforms, including services that had resurfaced after an earlier disruption of 48 booter sites. Investigators found the platforms had amassed hundreds of thousands of registered users and had been used against school districts, government websites, businesses, and other targets; FBI testing on government-controlled systems showed some attacks were strong enough to completely cut off internet connectivity.

The takedowns build on years of coordinated enforcement that has included the seizure of 15 booter websites, action against users of major DDoS-for-hire platforms, and prosecutions of operators tied to services such as RoyalStresser.com, SecurityTeam.io, Astrostress.com, and Booter.sx. Europol says the long-running campaign targets services that sell attacks for as little as EUR 10, lowering the barrier for low-skilled offenders and sometimes supporting broader criminal activity, including ransomware operations. The effort has involved the FBI, Europol, the U.K. National Crime Agency, Dutch police, and other global partners, alongside prevention campaigns aimed at deterring would-be users.