FBI takes down IPStorm malware botnet as hacker behind it pleads guilty

The FBI has dismantled the IPStorm botnet proxy network and its infrastructure, following a plea deal with the hacker, Sergei Makinin. The botnet, first sighted in 2019, had infected thousands of Linux, Mac, and Android devices worldwide. Makinin used it to turn infected devices into proxies for profit, selling illegitimate access to the devices to customers wanting to hide online activities. Makinin confessed to making at least $550,000 from the scheme and has agreed to forfeit all relevant cryptocurrency.