Is Your Computer Part of ‘The Largest Botnet Ever?’
KrebsOnSecurity
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Contributed by: Drex DeFord
Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice, in collaboration with international authorities, has arrested YunHe Wang, the alleged operator of the 911 S5 anonymity service, which was powered by a massive botnet. The service exploited computers using free VPN products to relay Internet traffic, enabling billions in online fraud. Nearly 560,000 fraudulent unemployment claims and substantial economic injury disaster loan applications are linked to IP addresses compromised by 911 S5. Operating from 2015 until its termination in 2022, 911 S5 sold access to numerous compromised computers as proxies. Wang faces charges including computer fraud and money laundering, and may face up to 65 years in prison. Authorities have seized significant assets, including luxury cars and properties, and continue efforts to extradite Wang to the U.S. for trial. Users are urged to check if their computers were part of the botnet via an FBI webpage.
