17 million strong botnet of compromised devices dismantled by Dutch authorities

Date:
Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Description:
The botnet is theorized to be related to Asocks, with the possibility the proxy network has bitten the dust.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Dutch NCSC and police
dismantled a 17Mdevice botnet by taking down 200 servers Asocks, previously tied to free Android VPN apps and promoted on Russian hacking forums, offered residential proxies often abused by cybercriminals Officials stress devices are assimilated via malware without consent A major botnet comprising 17 million devices was just taken offline late last week.

The Dutch National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) announced the takedown on Thursday, saying that together with the local police force, it took action against 200 servers which acted as the supporting infrastructure for the botnet. The unnamed hosting provider running the servers took the botnet offline due to their involvement in criminal activities, it was said. The
NCSC did not say which botnet was terminated. The Hacker News , however, citing local news outlet NL Times, said the service in question was Asocks, allegedly a company providing residential proxy services. On the Asocks website it says the company provides corporate, residential, and mobile proxies, with prices ranging from $5 to $15. Latest Videos From You may like Major SocksEscort proxy network powered by Linux malware taken down by FBI
and other police forces CrowdStrike takes down major botnet targeting developers across the world US and friends disrupt world's largest DDoS
botnet responsible for record 31.4 Tbps global attacks Selling the stolen accounts We last heard of Asocks approximately two years ago, when
researchers found roughly two dozen free Android VPN apps assimilating
devices into the botnet. At the time, security researchers from HUMANs Satori Intelligence Team said Asocks was a Russia-based residential proxy service provider, commonly promoted to cybercriminals on hacking forums.

Generally speaking, proxy services are not criminal - they have legitimate use-cases and various privacy benefits. However, cybercriminals often use
them to mask their activities, and if the providers dont act, then theyre considered criminal, too. Whether or not a proxy service is criminal also depends on how the devices were enrolled, since for illegal ones the devices are assimilated via malware and without their owners knowledge or consent.

"Devices can become part of a botnet when they are accessible to malicious actors," NCSC said. "After gaining access, attackers can install malware that allows the device to be controlled remotely. This enables the device to
become part of a network used for cybercriminal activities."

Therefore, the best way to defend against botnet attacks is to keep your devices updated and protected with a strong password. Are you a pro?
Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get
all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/17-million-strong-botnet-of-compromised -devices-dismantled-by-dutch-authorities


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)