November 14, 2023 at 06:31PM
Russian and Moldovan national Sergei Makinin has been arrested in Florida for operating a botnet called IPStorm. Makinin admitted to violating US law by intentionally causing damage to protected systems. The botnet used the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) to hide its activities and allow infected machines to be used as proxies. Makinin made over $550,000 by selling access to these proxies. The FBI has dismantled the botnet, but other criminals may exploit IPFS in the future.
The meeting notes discuss the dismantling of a botnet and the arrest of its operator, Sergei Makinin. Makinin, a Russian and Moldovan national, admitted to hijacking thousands of machines worldwide to create his network of nodes. He specifically pleaded guilty to three counts of violating the US Code, which makes it illegal to transmit computer software that causes damage to protected systems. Makinin created a botnet known as IPStorm, which utilized the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) peer-to-peer network to mask its activities and hide among legitimate IPFS traffic. The botnet infected PCs and later expanded to target Mac, Linux, and Android devices. Rather than stealing data, Makinin used the botnet to offer proxy services, allowing customers to hide their internet activities behind infected equipment. The botnet generated at least $550,000 in profits between June 2019 and December 2022. Makinin now faces a maximum of 10 years in prison for each count. The FBI has since dismantled the network, but the notes caution that other botnets may rise to abuse IPFS in the future.