Dutch authorities seized 200 servers running a 17-million-device botnet linked to proxy service Asocks. Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of at least 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. Infected devices included computers, tablets, and smartphones. The action was carried out following…
Tag: proxy
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
Botnet of 17 Million Devices Dismantled in the Netherlands
Dutch authorities seized 200 servers running a 17-million-device botnet linked to proxy service Asocks. Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of at least 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. Infected devices included computers, tablets, and smartphones. The action was carried out following…
Global Security News, Network Security
A single platform powers SIM farm proxy networks across 17 countries
Racks of phones and 4G modems, connected to carrier networks and rented out as commercial mobile proxy services, are operating across at least 94 locations in 17 countries. An investigation by infrastructure intelligence firm Infrawatch traced a large portion of those deployments to a shared software platform called ProxySmart, built and operated out of Minsk,…
Global Security News, malware
The Gentlemen ransomware now uses SystemBC for bot-powered attacks
A SystemBC proxy malware botnet of more than 1,570 hosts, believed to be corporate victims, has been discovered following an investigation into a Gentlemen ransomware attack carried out by a gang affiliate. […]
AI, Endpoint, Global Security News, Network Security
Cybercriminals move deeper into networks, hiding in edge infrastructure
Attack activity is moving toward infrastructure outside endpoint visibility. Proxy networks support a wide range of operations, edge devices serve as initial access points, and GenAI speeds up how attackers assemble and rebuild their tooling. Lumen’s 2026 Threatscape Report describes this pattern in criminal and nation-state activity. “Threat intelligence is needed to find the adversary…
AI, Cybersecurity, Global Security News, Network Security, privacy
What Is a Proxy Server and Why It Matters Today
In this post, I will talk about what is a proxy server and why it matters today. In 2026, proxy servers remain a crucial tool for managing online privacy, access, and network efficiency. Platforms like buy proxy offer reliable solutions that let individuals and organizations mask IP addresses, filter content, and optimize traffic flow. While…
Global Security News, Network Security
A Sneaky Back Door Lets Hackers Into Your Home. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.
A few tips can help you steer clear of so-called residential proxy networks, which have been used to wreak havoc online around the world.
AI, Apps, Global Security News, Network Security
IPv4 Mapped IPv6 Addresses, (Tue, Mar 17th)
Yesterday, in my diary about the scans for “/proxy/” URLs, I noted how attackers are using IPv4-mapped IPv6 addresses to possibly obfuscate their attack. These addresses are defined in RFC 4038. These addresses are one of the many transition mechanisms used to retain some backward compatibility as IPv6 is deployed. Many modern applications use IPv6-only networking…
AI, Apps, Exploits, Global Security News
/proxy/ URL scans with IP addresses, (Mon, Mar 16th)
Attempts to find proxy servers are among the most common scans our honeypots detect. Most of the time, the attacker attempts to use a host header or include the hostname in the URL to trigger the proxy server forwarding the request. In some cases, common URL prefixes like “/proxy/” are used. This weekend, I noticed a slightly…
AI, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Risk Management
Cyber criminals too are working from home… your home
The FBI is so concerned about the threat of residential proxy attacks and the dangers posed by cyber criminals using the technique that it has posted guidance on its website. Residential proxies are used by cybercriminals to reroute traffic between individuals and the websites they visit to make it appear to originate elsewhere? By taking…
AI, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Risk Management
Cyber criminals too are working from home… your home
The FBI is so concerned about the threat of residential proxy attacks and the dangers posed by cyber criminals using the technique that it has posted guidance on its website. Residential proxies are used by cybercriminals to reroute traffic between individuals and the websites they visit to make it appear to originate elsewhere? By taking…
AI, Apps, Europe, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
US and European authorities disrupt socksEscort proxy service tied to AVrecon botnet
Authorities in the US and Europe disrupted the SocksEscort proxy service, which used the AVrecon botnet and infected about 360,000 devices since 2020. Law enforcement agencies in the US and Europe have disrupted SocksEscort, a malicious proxy service powered by the AVrecon botnet. Active since 2020, the service hijacked roughly 360,000 devices and allowed cybercriminals…
AI, Exploits, Global Security News, Network Security
Authorities dismantle SocksEscort proxy network behind millions in fraud
SocksEscort, a residential proxy network used to exploit thousands of compromised home routers worldwide and facilitate large-scale fraud that cost victims millions of dollars, has been disrupted in an international law enforcement operation led by the U.S. Department of Justice. The domain seizure notice Law enforcement agencies seized 34 domains and 23 servers located in…
AI, Global Security News, malware
Authorities Disrupt SocksEscort Proxy Botnet Exploiting 369,000 IPs Across 163 Countries
A court-authorized international law enforcement operation has dismantled a criminal proxy service named SocksEscort that enslaved thousands of residential routers worldwide into a botnet for committing large-scale fraud. “SocksEscort infected home and small business internet routers with malware,” the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) said. “The malware allowed SocksEscort to direct internet
Europe, Global Security News, Network Security
Feds Takes Down SocksEscort Proxy Network Used in Global Fraud Schemes
European and US agencies dismantled the SocksEscort proxy network built on infected routers and used by cybercriminals in global fraud schemes.
AI, Exploits, Global Security News, malware, Network Security
Authorities takedown global proxy network SocksEscort
Authorities from multiple countries dismantled SocksEscort, a residential proxy network cybercriminals used to commit large-scale fraud, claiming access to about 369,000 IP addresses since 2020, the Justice Department said Thursday. Europol, which aided the investigation alongside various law enforcement agencies, Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs and the Shadowserver Foundation, said the malicious proxy service compromised routers…
Cybersecurity, Global Security News
How Proxy Servers Work and Why They Have Become a Core Part of Internet Infrastructure
In this post, I will show you how proxy servers work and why they have become a core part of Internet infrastructure. In today’s digital environment, access to information is increasingly determined not by content, but by the route data takes. Industry analysts estimate that a significant portion of internet traffic now passes through intermediary…