Global Law Enforcement Shuts Down DDoS-for-Hire Network, Warns 75,000 Users

A coordinated international law enforcement operation has dismantled a major DDoS-for-hire ecosystem, sending warnings to over 75,000 suspected users and disrupting infrastructure enabling global cyberattacks.

Operation PowerOFF, spearheaded by Europol, united authorities from 21 countries during a coordinated action week spanning April 13, 2026.

The operation resulted in four arrests, 25 search warrants executed, and the takedown of 53 domains hosting illegal “booter” and “stresser” services designed to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

These platforms enable criminals to flood websites, servers, and online networks with traffic, disrupting legitimate access. Authorities emphasized that even paying for such attacks through third-party services constitutes a criminal offense.

Investigators targeted both service operators and their clientele, including businesses targeting competitors, telecom providers, online marketplaces, and other digital infrastructure.

During the operation, law enforcement seized servers, databases, and backend systems supporting illegal operations. Analysis of seized data revealed over 3 million criminal user accounts, enabling identification of high-value targets across jurisdictions.

The crackdown highlights how easily DDoS-for-hire services have democratized cybercrime. Many platforms offer user-friendly interfaces, low-cost packages, and simplified dashboards that require minimal technical skill to launch disruptive attacks.

Officials noted diverse motivations among offenders: curiosity, revenge, hacktivism, extortion, and business sabotage. While some users lack experience, others customize attacks for greater impact or prolonged outages.

The prevention phase included removing over 100 advertising URLs from search engines and displaying targeted warnings to young users searching for these services. Authorities also issued alerts through payment blockchains and published enforcement results and awareness materials on the Operation PowerOFF website.

Key participating countries included the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Australia, Brazil, and other European and international partners. Europol provided intelligence analysis, suspect geolocation, cryptocurrency tracing, forensic support, and a command post during enforcement actions.

This latest phase demonstrates law enforcement’s shift toward addressing the entire DDoS-for-hire chain — from service providers to customers — while proactively preventing future offenses before attacks occur.