3 Plead Guilty in Mirai Botnet-Related Charges

3 Plead Guilty in Mirai Botnet-Related Charges

Three defendants have pleaded guilty to charges involving the Mirai botnet that was used to knock out several major websites last year, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday.

Three defendants have pleaded guilty to charges involving the Mirai botnet that was used to knock out several major websites last year, according to court documents unsealed on Tuesday. The Mirai botnet, a system of hacked internet-connected devices, was used in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on several major websites last year.

The Justice Department charged Paras Jha, Josiah White and Dalton Normal with building and renting out the Mirai botnet, a system of more than 300,000 hacked devices used to flood other websites with junk online traffic. The three men were not charged in connection to the attack that knocked out several major websites last year, but Jha did admit to participating in selling access to the Mirai botnet for others to use in attacks and to promoting it on criminal web forums.

Mirai generated traffic for DDoS attacks by creating networks of infected internet-connected devices and having them all contact a website at the same time. These large floods of traffic overwhelmed victims’ servers, crashing or at least severely slowing their websites.

The botnet served as a platform for hacking these devices. Researchers have determined that it infected nearly 65,000 devices in its first 20 hours and doubled in size every 76 minutes to ultimately build a sustained strength of between 200,000 and 300,000 devices, including routers and security cameras.

The networks built by Mirai were so large they broke several size records for DDoS attacks. One of its largest attacks took place on Oct. 21, 2016, when Mirai was used in a DDoS attack on the online technology provided Dyn, interrupting service to many sites – including Twitter, Etsy, Netflix and Reddit.

None of the men has been sentenced. The federal indictments were unsealed in federal court in Alaska.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • AI to Help Resolve Non-Emergency Calls Across Utah and Decrease 911 Caller Wait Times

    The Utah Communications Authority (UCA), which oversees the state’s next generation 911 technology services, recently announced that public safety answering points (PSAPs) throughout the state plan to implement Motorola Solutions’ Virtual Response technology to automate the receipt and resolution of 10-digit non-emergency line calls in Utah with the help of AI. Read Now

  • Report Reveals Local Governments Face Surge in Ransomware Attacks with Minimal Resources

    KnowBe4, the cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, recently released new research highlighting the critical cybersecurity challenges facing state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. The report details how government organizations have become prime targets for cybercriminals while simultaneously facing severe resource constraints. Read Now

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.