Qakbot botnet brought down in major global operation led by US

The US Justice Department has taken down “Qakbot,” a major botnet used by cybercriminals to extort ransom payments. The operation led by the FBI uninstalled the malware from 700,000 computers and seized $8.6 million in cryptocurrency assets. The multi-country mission, named “Duck Hunt,” involved law enforcement agencies from seven countries. According to the Justice Department, between October 2021 and April 2023, the operators of Qakbot extorted approximately $58 million from victims.