Cybersecurity Policy Report, International Law Enforcement Operation Dismantles Botnet Used for Cyber Crime, (Mar 13, 2026)

By Tom Leithauser

A botnet that harnessed 369,000 routers and Internet of things devices in 163 countries to provide anonymity to cyber criminals has been dismantled by authorities in the U.S. and seven allied nations, according to Europol (the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation).

“Cybercrime thrives on anonymity. Proxy services like ‘SocksEscort’ provide criminals with the digital cover they need to launch attacks, distribute illegal content and evade detection,” Catherine De Bolle, Europol’s executive director, said in a news release.

“By dismantling this infrastructure, law enforcement has disrupted a service that enabled cybercrime on a global scale. Operations like this show that when investigators connect the dots internationally, the infrastructure behind cybercrime can be exposed and shut down,” Ms. De Bolle said.

Cyber criminals were able to rent the SocksEscort botnet for various illegal activities, including ransomware attacks and distribution of child sexual abuse material, Europol said. Armed with court orders, law enforcement authorities seized 34 Internet domains and 23 servers located in seven countries that supported the botnet’s operation, Europol said, and the U.S. Department of Justice froze $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency.

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