Central NY man charged with selling computer attacks worldwide, prosecutors say – syracuse.com
Clay, N.Y. — A Central New York man has been accused of being part of a business that for a fee organized massive international cyberattacks, according to federal prosecutors.
Six people have been charged, accused of over a million attacks or attempted attacks on individuals and educational institutions, government agencies and gaming platforms, prosecutors said.
Joshua Laing, 32, of Clay, has been charged with aiding and abetting computer intrusions, prosecutors said. He was charged in federal court in Alaska.
The arrests are part of Operation PowerOff, a coordinated international effort to dismantle criminal denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS attacks flood targets with information and renders them unable to access the internet, prosecutors said. These companies are often referred to as booter services.
Laing’s company, TrueSecurityServices.io, allowed people to pay for a DDoS attack, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s for the District of Alaska’s office.
The FBI worked with other agencies including in the Netherlands, Great Britain and Canada, prosecutors said.
The U.S. Justice Department also announced the seizure of 48 internet domains associated with the DDoS attacks.
The others charged in the federal cases this month are:
Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or rkirk@syracuse.com.
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