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The Russian hacking “botnet” RSOCKS global network has been dismantled according to law enforcement from the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain.
According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the botnet known as "RSOCKS" is a worldwide network that linked millions of hacked computers and devices which include "internet of things" (IoT) gadgets like routers and smart garage openers.
Hacked by Russian cyber criminals and used for malicious purposes, the network of compromised devices had been used to "mask or hide the true source of the traffic", according to a Reuters report.
The DOJ also revealed that RSOCKS users paid a fee of between $30 and $200 per day to route malicious internet activity.
"It is believed that the users of this type of proxy service were conducting large scale attacks against authentication services, also known as credential stuffing, and anonymising themselves when accessing compromised social media accounts, or sending malicious email, such as phishing messages," the US DOJ said in a statement.
Victims of RSOCKS include public and private entities ranging from a university, a hotel, a television studio and an electronics manufacturer but the DOJ did not name them.
[Related: Cyber criminals double tapping targets, new study reveals]
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