German investigators, working with partners in the United States and Canada, have dismantled infrastructure linked to two large botnet networks known as Aisuru and Kimwolf. Authorities said the networks, made up of millions of compromised internet-connected devices, had been used to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks capable of knocking websites and online services offline.
The Central Office for Combating Cybercrime in North Rhine-Westphalia (ZAC NRW) and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said they removed technical components of the botnets on servers around the world. Investigators also identified two suspected administrators and executed search operations in Germany and Canada, seizing extensive evidence including data storage hardware and cryptocurrencies valued at tens of thousands of euros.
Officials described Aisuru as relying mainly on infected Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as routers and webcams. Kimwolf, by contrast, primarily used compromised Android TV boxes and was reportedly offered for rent to other criminals, allowing attackers to make malicious traffic appear to come from ordinary household devices.
Botnets form when hackers install malware on vulnerable internet-connected equipment — smart TVs, set-top boxes, routers, webcams and similar devices. Once infected, those devices can be remotely controlled and instructed to send massive volumes of traffic to a target. In a DDoS attack, thousands or even millions of hijacked devices simultaneously flood a website or server, overwhelming its capacity and forcing services offline.
Cybersecurity experts warn that devices with weak passwords, outdated firmware or unpatched vulnerabilities are especially prone to being absorbed into botnets. To reduce the risk, they recommend regularly updating device software, using strong, unique passwords and securing home networks behind properly configured routers and firewalls.
The takedown highlights the global nature of botnet operations and the need for international cooperation to disrupt them. Edited by: Kieran Burke