Oregon Man Charged Over 'Rapper Bot' DDoS Attacks

A 22-year-old Oregon man, Ethan J. Foltz, was arrested for operating Rapper Bot, a large IoT-based botnet used for launching massive DDoS attacks, including one that disrupted Twitter/X in March 2025. The botnet, which enslaved around 65,000 devices globally, was rented out to extortionists and was responsible for over 370,000 attacks targeting thousands of victims. Foltz admitted to building and controlling the botnet, which was designed to be manageable and stealthy, and he discussed its capabilities and rival threats in encrypted chats. The case highlights the significant financial and operational risks posed by such cybercriminal activities.