Dutch police take down 17 million device botnet linked to ASOCKS

Dutch authorities have dismantled a massive botnet comprising at least 17 million devices, seizing over 200 servers linked to the operation. The botnet, connected to ASOCKS—a residential proxy service—was identified after a security researcher reported it to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the Netherlands. Infected devices, including computers and smartphones, were covertly used by cybercriminals to route traffic and conduct large-scale attacks without the owners’ knowledge.

Authorities highlighted the challenges posed by residential proxies that can disguise malicious activities as legitimate. Users are advised to enhance their device security to prevent infections.