## Rapper Bot Takedown: Man Arrested for Orchestrating Major DDoS Attacks, Including Twitter/X Outage
A significant blow has been struck against the cybercrime underworld with the arrest of a 22-year-old Oregon man suspected of operating “Rapper Bot,” a powerful botnet responsible for a string of disruptive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The Justice Department has revealed that this vast network of compromised devices was allegedly rented out to online extortionists, enabling them to bring down prominent online services, including a notable outage of Twitter/X in March 2025.
The operation, dubbed “Rapper Bot,” served as a weapon for hire, empowering those looking to extort money or cause chaos. Investigators believe the suspect and an unidentified accomplice meticulously designed their operation to evade law enforcement. A key tactic employed to stay under the radar? They deliberately ensured that their malicious botnet was never directed at KrebsOnSecurity, a cybersecurity news and analysis website renowned for its in-depth reporting on such threats. This deliberate avoidance, while a clever attempt at obscurity, didn’t ultimately prevent their capture.
This arrest marks a crucial step in the ongoing battle against DDoS-for-hire services, which pose a significant threat to the stability and accessibility of the internet. The Justice Department’s action highlights their commitment to dismantling these sophisticated cybercrime operations and holding those responsible accountable. We’ll be keeping a close eye on further developments as this case unfolds.
[Source](https://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/08/oregon-man-charged-in-rapper-bot-ddos-service/)
