- Dutch authorities dismantled a massive botnet of at least 17 million infected devices.
- The botnet’s backend infrastructure included over 200 servers based in the Netherlands.
- The service involved was reported to be Asocks, a residential proxy provider.
- These proxies, while having legitimate uses, are frequently exploited for cybercrime.
Dutch authorities, including the Dutch Politie and the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), have taken down a sprawling botnet that enslaved millions of devices worldwide by late May 2026. This network, consisting of computers, smartphones, and IoT gadgets, was used to carry out malicious attacks.
The botnet consisted of at least 17 million infected devices, according to a statement issued by the NCSC. More than 200 servers located within the Netherlands provided the critical backend infrastructure for this criminal platform.
Police seized a subset of these servers from a cooperating hosting provider. Consequently, the provider took the entire botnet offline after discovering its misuse for criminal purposes.
Although not officially named by authorities, local outlet NL Times reported the service was Asocks, a company selling residential proxies. Asocks advertises subscriptions between $5 and $15, with discounts for bulk purchases.
Residential proxies have legitimate privacy applications, as noted in industry analysis. However, this ecosystem is shadowy, with many providers catering to bad actors who route attacks through compromised devices.
“Devices can become part of a botnet when they are accessible to malicious actors,” the NCSC said. After gaining access, attackers install malware that allows the device to be controlled remotely for cybercriminal activities.
To mitigate such threats, the NCSC advises keeping operating systems updated and using strong passwords. Furthermore, enabling two-factor authentication and securing Wi-Fi networks with WPA2 or WPA3 are critical steps.
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