Dutch police shuts down 15 DDoS service providers in a week

Buying DDoS attacks from so-called booters is a common way to cause DDoS attacks. Booters are a form of online service where customers can use an infrastructure of (mostly) hacked computers to attack a target. In most cases, offering and using booters is therefore a criminal offense.

Young perpetrators

“Many users don't realize this. Many DDoS attacks are committed by young people, said Jeroen Niessen, head of a regional cybercrime team of the Dutch Police. For the kick, out of boredom or as a challenge; to see if it succeeds in taking down a target. Perpetrators underestimate the consequences of these attacks for victims. Moreover, they do not realize that the police are able to find them and that they are facing a penalty and a substantial claim for damages”

On April 10, Dutch police announced that they arrested a 19-year old suspect responsible for shutting down MijnOverheid.nl and Overheid.nl through planned DDos attacks on March 19.

A frequently visited government information hub, Overheid.nl, offered Covid-19 emergency regulations and other vital safety information to citizens struggling through the pandemic. The other website, MijnOverheid.nl, offered citizens important government documents for tax returns and child benefits, and the portal is used to register with local municipalities.

The two websites were offline for several hours following the attack, and visitors could no longer receive vital government information.

“We take this very seriously, especially now that the corona crisis is causing additional uncertainty and a great need for information for many people,” said Jeroen Niessen.