In a significant cybersecurity operation dubbed ‘Operation PowerOFF,’ law enforcement agencies from 15 countries have successfully disrupted 27 DDoS-for-hire services. The operation resulted in the arrest of three administrators and the identification of 300 platform users.

The targeted services, known as “booters” or “stressers,” included prominent platforms such as zdstresser.net, orbitalstress.net, and starkstresser.net. These services allowed customers to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against chosen targets, particularly threatening online businesses during peak shopping seasons.

In the Netherlands, authorities arrested four individuals aged 22-26, with one suspect allegedly responsible for over 4,000 DDoS attacks. Dutch police identified approximately 200 local users of these services, who will face consequences ranging from warning letters to prosecution based on their involvement level.

The operation’s success was facilitated by Europol’s Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT), which provided analytical support, cryptocurrency tracing, and forensic investigation assistance. This action follows recent successful operations, including the takedown of major platforms like Dstat.cc and DigitalStress.

The coordinated international effort represents a significant step in combating cybercrime infrastructure and protecting online services from malicious attacks. Seized websites now display law enforcement notices, marking the end of their illegal operations.