An international law enforcement operation has identified more than 75,000 individuals linked to distributed denial-of-service activities and dismantled infrastructure supporting these attacks.
The operation, known as Operation PowerOFF, was coordinated by Europol with participation from authorities in 21 countries. The latest action phase took place in April 2026 and focused on both enforcement and prevention measures targeting the DDoS-for-hire ecosystem.
Authorities sent over 75,000 warning emails and letters to individuals identified as users of so-called booter or stresser services. These platforms allow users to launch DDoS attacks without requiring advanced technical knowledge.
As part of the same operation, law enforcement agencies took down 53 domains associated with DDoS-for-hire services. Investigators also executed 25 search warrants and made four arrests linked to the activity.
The investigation was supported by data obtained from seized infrastructure, including servers and databases used by these services. Analysis of this material revealed information on more than 3 million user accounts, which enabled authorities to identify individuals involved and coordinate follow-up actions across multiple jurisdictions.
Booter services are typically marketed as tools for testing network resilience, but are widely used to disrupt websites, online services, and networks by overwhelming them with traffic. The availability of such services has reduced the technical barrier required to carry out attacks.
Authorities stated that the operation is not limited to targeting service operators. The current phase includes direct engagement with users in an effort to deter future activity. Measures included warning notifications, removal of related websites from search engine results, and disruption of infrastructure supporting the services.
Operation PowerOFF is part of an ongoing international effort launched in 2018 to shut down DDoS-for-hire platforms and prosecute those involved. The initiative has involved multiple agencies, including Europol and national law enforcement bodies, working to reduce the availability and use of these services.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities continuing to analyse seized data and pursue additional enforcement actions against both operators and users of DDoS-for-hire platforms.