Rising threat: The surge in IP booters and their impact on internet users
A concerning new trend is on the rise that threatens the security and stability of the World Wide Web. IP booters have exploded in popularity in recent years. While in concept, it’s an excellent tool for network administrators, the growing public interest in them is starting to raise concerns.
IP booters work by leveraging numerous devices to bombard targets with massive internet traffic. Nowadays, they provide easy access to powerful denial-of-service attacks for anyone willing to do some digging. As interest and accessibility of these services grow, even everyday internet users can find themselves in the crosshairs.
Stick around as we take a look at what IP booters are, what they’re used for, and how to protect against them.
What are IP booters?
IP booters, also known as IP stressers, are tools that can flood websites and servers with junk traffic, overwhelming them and taking them offline. They work by leveraging networks of malware-infected devices called botnets. When the user requests an attack via the booter's web interface, the botnet is signaled to bombard the target with traffic.
This type of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is used to consume the target's bandwidth and disrupt their internet connection. Best case scenario: your device or server’s connection gets extremely slow. Worst case – instant crash.
IP booters provide easy access to these DDoS attacks through a simple web interface. The user only needs to enter the IP address they want to disrupt. Booter services can be free or rented cheaply, often for less than $20 if you’re going premium. This allows even unskilled attackers to launch powerful denial-of-service campaigns with just a few clicks.
Some free IP stressers even operate on a "peer-to-peer" model. Users earn credits to conduct their own attacks by adding devices to the booter's botnet infrastructure. This helps the services build out enormous armies of compromised devices that are hard to track to the original sources.
IP booters in action: common use cases
Intrinsically, IP stressers are harmless if used properly. However, just as a simple nail can be used for construction, it can also be used to puncture someone else’s tire. As such, IP stressers have been a reliable tool for many online game cheaters and high-profile hackers alike.
The most common IP booter use cases include:
- Network stress testing. When used for legitimate testing purposes, network administrators assess the resilience and performance of their networks under heavy traffic loads. This helps identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.
- Online gaming disruption. Players with malicious intent may use these tools to overload their opponents' or gaming servers' connections, causing unfair advantage through lag or disconnections. This includes targeted attacks against streamers who are not using DDoS protections.
- Cyberattacks. High-profile hackers and cybercriminals use IP booters to launch DDoS attacks against websites, servers, or online services. Businesses may also use booters against rivals to siphon away customers when their site goes down.
Hacktivist groups such as Anonymous have deployed powerful IP stressers to take down organizations' servers as an act of protest. However, booters have also been used for petty personal vendettas and extortion schemes. This is a prominent problem in the game streaming scene, where the attacks end up affecting innocent bystanders on shared hosting platforms.
The surge in IP booters
IP booters have exploded in popularity in recent years with penny costs and low difficulty making them an appealing option for causing havoc. There is no shortage of these services and tools available for anyone to grab for as little as $10. In fact, apart from premium offerings, there’s a whole bunch you can snag completely free, no questions asked.
The rise of searches through web engines and the abundance of articles ranking best ones are good indicators of growing interest. According to Google Trends, the search volumes for “Free IP stresser” have skyrocketed during the start of the 2020 lockdowns. Interestingly, to this day, the #1 country for the searches is the United States.
This rise is especially noticeable among younger demographics. The tools have benefited from constant promotion and tutorials circulating on social platforms like YouTube and TikTok. The fact that a lot of IP stresser tools are also extremely easy to use, even for novice hackers, doesn’t help the problem either.
Due to growing accessibility, attacks that would’ve required advanced technical skills can now be executed at the click of a button. Booters essentially weaponize DDoS technology, placing it in the hands of anyone willing to take the risk of being caught.
Consequences of IP booter misuse
Using booters with malicious intent can lead to serious legal consequences. In the United States, DDoS attacks are prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Violators face hefty fines or even prison time, depending on the severity and intent of the attack.
Several high-profile cases have emerged in recent years. For example, multiple individuals faced charges for using booters on gaming sites and other online targets. In 2018, Zachary Buchta of the “Lizard Squad” received a $350,000 fine and three months in prison for his site, which powered more than 1.7 million DDoS attacks.
The attacks can also endanger critical infrastructure and public services, which is highly illegal. IP stressers have been used to take down government websites and disrupt essential utilities. As the scale of potential attacks grows, it poses risks to hospitals, transportation systems, and other services that heavily rely on the internet.
Law enforcement agencies like the FBI are ramping up efforts to identify and prosecute booter users and administrators. However, catching attackers remains challenging when services hide behind top-class VPNs and anonymous payment systems. International cooperation is also required, as both users and IP booter servers could be located anywhere globally.
How to protect against DDoS attacks from IP booters
While IP booters pose a threat, being prepared and using proactive DDoS protection measures can help shield you from harm. Here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from IP booter attacks:
- Hide your IP. Since it’s your main identifier, hiding your IP address through various methods is the best way to shield yourself if you’re a private internet user.
- DDoS mitigation services. It’s mostly used to filter malicious traffic before it overwhelms your network, mainly through cloud technologies. Unfortunately, this option is extremely pricey and is mostly targeted at enterprise-level users.
- Enable firewalls. Any intrusion detection systems stop requests from suspicious sources. You can make the most out of your firewall by blacklisting IP addresses that are known botnet nodes.
- Make regular backups. If you’re running a website, back up data offline so it can be restored if servers are brought down.
- Update your software. Outdated software usually leads to numerous unpatched vulnerabilities. Attacks often leverage these holes in unattended systems.
- Use a VPN. Highly secure VPNs protect you against DDoS attacks by redirecting your web traffic through a different network from your own. By doing that, they also conceal your true IP address and encrypt all your web traffic.
Have you ever used IP booters? What do you think is the best protection against them? Let us know by leaving a comment!
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