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The operation sounds massive, and it is: Investigators from Germany, the U.S., and Canada have taken down two of the world’s largest botnets and crippled their infrastructure. The names “Aisuru” and “Kimwolf” did not refer to harmless tech gadgets, but to professional criminal networks. Their tools: millions of internet-connected devices found in homes, offices, and small businesses.

That is precisely what makes this case so explosive. After all, it affected not only computers, but also routers, security cameras, smart TVs, streaming devices, and other gadgets that many people use every day. Owners often don’t even notice. The device appears to function normally—yet it is still working for criminals in the background.

How Everyday Devices Become Tools for Digital Attackers

A botnet can be thought of as a remotely controlled network of infected devices. Each individual device seems small and inconspicuous. But when a large number of them are controlled simultaneously, they generate enormous digital power. That is exactly what cybercriminals exploit.

According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, the networks were primarily used for so-called DDoS attacks. In such attacks, a website or app is flooded with so many requests that it no longer functions properly or goes down completely. For users, this is initially just annoying. For companies or government agencies, it can quickly become costly and embarrassing. Services go down, customers are frustrated, and trust is lost.

Just how real this threat is has recently become clear in Germany as well. Deutsche Bahn’s information services and the DB Navigator app were the targets of such an attack. Such attacks, therefore, do not only target secret servers or international corporations, but also specific services that many people rely on in their daily lives.

“Aisuru” and “Kimwolf” were no small fry

The “Aisuru” botnet appears to have been particularly problematic. It is said to have primarily infected poorly secured devices, such as routers and security cameras—precisely the kind of equipment that is often set up once and then largely ignored for years. The network is even credited with the largest known DDoS attack to date, which Cloudflare was still able to fend off. It remains unclear who was actually the intended target at the time.

“Kimwolf” is said to be closely linked to “Aisuru,” but it focuses more heavily on Android devices and typical consumer products such as TV boxes. This shows just how widespread such networks have become. It’s no longer just about traditional computers. It’s about anything that’s online and poorly protected.

A success with a catch

The fact that the authorities were able to disrupt this infrastructure is undoubtedly a major success. It shows that international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime is possible. But there is one major catch: it appears that the suspects were not arrested. This means that the technology behind the network was taken down, but not necessarily all the people behind it.

And that is precisely where the bigger problem lies. As long as attackers can continue to operate behind the scenes while insecure devices continue to be sold, the danger has not gone away. The uncomfortable truth is this: hackers aren’t the only problem. Manufacturers who release connected devices onto the market without adequate security measures are also contributing to the problem.

Perhaps the real scandal, then, is not just the botnet itself, but how easily it was able to emerge in the first place. Millions of smart devices make our daily lives more convenient. But when security is treated as an afterthought, that convenience quickly becomes a gateway for criminals. After this incident, no one should underestimate that fact.

Source: tagesschau.de