US Charges Oregon Man Over Global 370,000-Plus DDoS Botnet Attacks

Ethan Foltz, a 22-year-old from Oregon, has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for operating Rapper Bot, a sophisticated and powerful botnet responsible for over 370,000 distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting more than 18,000 victims worldwide since at least 2021. Rapper Bot, also known as Eleven Eleven Botnet and CowBot, infected tens of thousands of internet-connected devices like DVRs and WiFi routers, launching attacks that often reached 2 to 3 terabits per second, with one attack peaking at 6 terabits per second. The botnet was rented out to customers who used it to disrupt networks and extort victims by demanding payment to stop the attacks. Targets included U.S. government networks, major social media platforms, American tech companies, and international victims across over 80 countries, with the highest number of attacks hitting China, Japan, the U.S., Ireland, and Hong Kong. Law enforcement seized control of Rapper Bot's infrastructure following a search warrant at Foltz's home in early August 2025, effectively halting the botnet's operations. Foltz faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted for aiding and abetting computer intrusions.