FutureFive New Zealand - Consumer technology news & reviews from the future

Botnet Stories

Global Stories

Botnet stories

The Gentlemen becomes second most active ransomware group
Malware

The Gentlemen becomes second most active ransomware group

Check Point Research says a better affiliate payout is helping the gang spread fast, with more than 320 claimed victims since mid-2025.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 22nd Apr 2026
Gcore sees DDoS attacks surge to 1.3 million in Q4
Gaming

Gcore sees DDoS attacks surge to 1.3 million in Q4

Brief, high-volume floods are increasingly overwhelming businesses, with technology, financial services and gaming among the hardest hit sectors.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 26th Mar 2026
US-led raid disrupts record DDoS botnets worldwide
Malware

US-led raid disrupts record DDoS botnets worldwide

US, Canadian and German authorities have dismantled four record-breaking IoT DDoS botnets that hijacked over three million devices worldwide.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Tue, 24th Mar 2026
US disrupts four IoT botnets in record DDoS attacks
Firewalls

US disrupts four IoT botnets in record DDoS attacks

US authorities say they have crippled four vast IoT botnets behind record 30Tbps DDoS attacks, in a major cross-border operation.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Mon, 23rd Mar 2026
AI-fuelled DDoS attacks surge past eight million globally
Firewalls

AI-fuelled DDoS attacks surge past eight million globally

AI-driven botnets fuel eight million DDoS attacks in late 2025, as multi-vector assaults hit 30 Tbps and strain global critical services.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Fri, 13th Mar 2026
SSHStalker botnet preys on legacy Linux & cloud hosts
Malware

SSHStalker botnet preys on legacy Linux & cloud hosts

A newly uncovered SSHStalker botnet uses old-school IRC and legacy Linux exploits to hijack outdated corporate and cloud hosts at scale.

By Kaleah Salmon • 5 min read • Thu, 12th Feb 2026
DigiCert sees record UltraDNS DDoS surge in December 2025
Firewalls

DigiCert sees record UltraDNS DDoS surge in December 2025

DigiCert warns UltraDNS DDoS attacks spiked to record levels in December 2025, driven by massive Aisuru and Kimwolf botnets.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Fri, 6th Feb 2026
DigiCert warns of prolonged online demand & attacks
Firewalls

DigiCert warns of prolonged online demand & attacks

DigiCert warns Q4 internet traffic stayed high as DDoS and app-layer attacks grew longer and more intense, eroding traditional peak seasons.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Fri, 30th Jan 2026
Proofpoint details TA584's fast-evolving 2025 attacks
Malware

Proofpoint details TA584's fast-evolving 2025 attacks

Cyber gang TA584 triples 2025 email attacks as it adopts ClickFix lures and new Tsundere Bot malware, Proofpoint researchers warn.

By Mark Tarre • 5 min read • Fri, 30th Jan 2026
Google disrupts IPIDEA's global hijacked device network
Malware

Google disrupts IPIDEA's global hijacked device network

Google has dismantled IPIDEA's vast residential proxy network, which hijacked millions of consumer devices for global cyber operations.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Thu, 29th Jan 2026
Hydrolix unveils Bot Insights to expose costly AI bots
Cloud Security

Hydrolix unveils Bot Insights to expose costly AI bots

Hydrolix launches Bot Insights to reveal hidden AI bot traffic and six-figure cost leaks, promising real-time visibility across CDNs.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Wed, 14th Jan 2026
Fake Leonardo DiCaprio torrent spreads Agent Tesla trojan
Endpoint Protection

Fake Leonardo DiCaprio torrent spreads Agent Tesla trojan

Fake torrents of Leonardo DiCaprio film One Battle After Another are spreading Agent Tesla malware that hijacks Windows PCs, experts warn.

By Sean Mitchell • 5 min read • Thu, 11th Dec 2025
Cybercrime crackdown disrupts malware, exposes AI attack risks
Malware

Cybercrime crackdown disrupts malware, exposes AI attack risks

Law enforcement and cybersecurity firms have disrupted major malware networks amid rising risks from AI-driven cyberattacks and escalating supply chain breaches globally.

By Sean Mitchell • 6 min read • Tue, 18th Nov 2025
Detour Dog exploits DNS to target 30,000 sites with covert malware
Malware

Detour Dog exploits DNS to target 30,000 sites with covert malware

Threat group Detour Dog has exploited DNS to covertly infect over 30,000 websites since 2020, shifting from scam redirects to malware delivery via server-side attacks.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Wed, 1st Oct 2025
The risky race to AI: How DeepSeek is reshaping the AI landscape
Data Protection

The risky race to AI: How DeepSeek is reshaping the AI landscape

Chinese startup DeepSeek's new AI model cuts costs but sparks global security fears, prompting bans and cyberattacks amid geopolitical tensions.

By Pascal Geenens • 4 min read • Thu, 26th Jun 2025
Akamai tool disrupts cryptominer botnets, cutting USD $38K
Malware

Akamai tool disrupts cryptominer botnets, cutting USD $38K

Akamai unveiled a tool that disrupts cryptominer botnets, slashing malicious operators' earnings by USD $38,000 through innovative bad share tactics.

By Jed Nykolle Harme • 4 min read • Wed, 25th Jun 2025
Cloudflare thwarts record 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack with automation
Firewalls

Cloudflare thwarts record 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack with automation

Cloudflare blocked a record 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack targeting a client, marking the largest ever publicly disclosed, using its fully automated global defence system.

By Melvin Hipolito • 4 min read • Fri, 20th Jun 2025

Stories from Other Regions

Botnet stories

US charges Russian in Qakbot cybercrime, seizes USD $24m
Malware

US charges Russian in Qakbot cybercrime, seizes USD $24m

The US has charged Russian Rustam Gallyamov for running the Qakbot malware network, seizing USD $24m in cryptocurrency from cybercrime activities.

By Catherine Knowles • 3 min read • Wed, 28th May 2025