In a coordinated strike against the global residential proxy ecosystem, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), supported by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation division and a coalition of private-sector technology giants, has successfully seized hundreds of domains associated with NetNut. The service, a sprawling residential proxy network operated by the publicly-traded Israeli firm…
For the past four years, a sprawling, shadow-network of Android-based TV boxes has been operating in millions of living rooms across the globe. Unbeknownst to their owners, these devices—often purchased as cheap, plug-and-play solutions for streaming subscription content—have been surreptitiously enlisted into a sophisticated botnet known as Popa. Unlike the destructive botnets of the past,…
In a sweeping coordinated strike against the infrastructure fueling global cybercrime, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized hundreds of web domains associated with NetNut, a sprawling residential proxy service operated by the publicly traded Israeli company Alarum Technologies [NASDAQ: ALAR]. The takedown, executed with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal…
For the past four years, a sprawling, shadow-like infrastructure known as "Popa" has quietly co-opted millions of consumer Android-based TV boxes. Rather than launching the headline-grabbing distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks typically associated with botnets, Popa operates with a more subtle, persistent objective: transforming living-room streaming devices into a global relay network for commercial residential proxies….
In a decisive strike against the illicit residential proxy ecosystem, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), supported by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation division and a coalition of global technology partners, has seized hundreds of domains associated with NetNut. The service, a sprawling residential proxy network operated by the publicly traded Israeli firm…
In a landmark victory for international law enforcement, a 23-year-old Ottawa resident, Jacob Butler—known in the shadowy corners of the internet by the handle "Dort"—was arrested this week on charges of masterminding "Kimwolf," a formidable Internet-of-Things (IoT) botnet responsible for a wave of record-breaking cyberattacks that have plagued global networks for the past six months….
For the past four years, an expansive and largely invisible infrastructure known as the Popa botnet has quietly co-opted millions of consumer Android-based TV boxes. These devices, often purchased for their ability to stream subscription video content for a one-time fee, are being weaponized to relay massive volumes of internet traffic. Security researchers have now…
In a significant victory for international cybersecurity, Canadian authorities have apprehended a 23-year-old Ottawa resident accused of orchestrating "Kimwolf," a massive Internet-of-Things (IoT) botnet responsible for record-breaking distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The arrest marks the culmination of a high-stakes, months-long investigation involving the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the…
For the past four years, a sprawling, shadow-like infrastructure known as Popa has operated beneath the radar of mainstream cybersecurity, turning millions of consumer Android TV boxes into involuntary relay stations for malicious internet traffic. While the name may not carry the notoriety of high-profile ransomware gangs, its reach is vast. Security researchers have now…
In a landmark victory for international law enforcement, a 23-year-old Ottawa resident, Jacob Butler—known in the darker corners of the internet by his alias "Dort"—has been arrested by the Ontario Provincial Police. The arrest marks the culmination of a high-stakes, months-long investigation into the architect of "Kimwolf," a sophisticated and rapidly expanding Internet-of-Things (IoT) botnet…
