DDoS-For-Hire Service DigitalStress Taken Down by UK Authorities

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has successfully infiltrated and disrupted DigitalStress.su, one of the most prolific DDoS-for-hire services globally, responsible for tens of thousands of attacks each week. This operation, executed in partnership with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), marks a significant blow against cybercrime networks.

Earlier this month, the PSNI arrested a suspected controller of DigitalStress, paving the way for the NCA to take over the site. The agency replaced the domain with a warning splash page, notifying users that their data had been collected by law enforcement. The NCA achieved this by directing users to a mirror site, effectively disabling the original site's functionality.

The website now displays the below seizure banner:

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, designed to overwhelm websites and force them offline, are illegal under the UK's Computer Misuse Act 1990. DDoS-for-hire services, or ‘booter' services, enable users to launch these attacks quickly, causing significant harm to businesses and critical infrastructure. These services can disrupt essential public services, including emergency services.

DigitalStress operated under the .su domain, a relic of the Soviet Union, which many cybercriminal services believe offers a shield against law enforcement. However, the NCA's operation demonstrated the vulnerability of such domains and their potential for exploitation to halt criminal activities and identify perpetrators.

The NCA also monitored communication platforms used by DigitalStress's clientele, asserting that no place is safe for cybercriminals. The agency's actions have now exposed users of these services to law enforcement scrutiny.

User information from DigitalStress will be analyzed for further law enforcement action, with data on overseas users being shared with international agencies. This operation follows a December 2022 FBI-led international takedown of 48 major ‘booter' sites, which the NCA supported.

Deputy Director Paul Foster, head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, highlighted in the announcement the accessibility of booter services as an entry point for novice cybercriminals. He emphasized that the recent takedown demonstrates that law enforcement can strip cybercriminals of their anonymity and impunity.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Woods of the PSNI commended the collaborative effort, underscoring their commitment to disrupting cybercriminal activities both locally and globally. This operation is part of Operation Power Off, a sustained international effort targeting criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures, involving the FBI and other law enforcement authorities from across the globe.