Do Son 
Europol has reported the successful dismantling of six DDoS-for-hire services that were actively used to orchestrate cyberattacks against organizations worldwide. This operation forms part of the ongoing international campaign known as PowerOFF, which is aimed at dismantling the infrastructure supporting so-called stresser/booter platforms.
The primary targets of this latest enforcement wave were platforms operating under the names cfxapi, cfxsecurity, neostress, jetstress, quickdown, and zapcut. All of these services were active between 2022 and 2025 and specialized in offering paid cyberattacks, with prices starting at just €10 per session. Among their victims were schools, government agencies, business enterprises, and online gaming platforms. These services featured a user-friendly interface: customers simply had to enter the target’s IP address, choose the type of attack, and submit payment—no technical expertise required.
As part of the operation, four individuals were arrested in Poland, and nine domains tied to illicit services were seized in the United States. One of the most prominent platforms, cfxsecurity, marketed itself as the “best stress-testing service” and offered monthly subscription plans ranging from $20 to $130. Another platform, QuickDown, charged between $20 and $379 for its services and reportedly adopted a hybrid architecture combining botnets with dedicated servers.
According to cybersecurity firm Radware, QuickDown was part of a new wave of stresser services that enhanced their capabilities by integrating botnet management features. In September 2023, the platform began offering a “Botnet addon” subscription, which expanded its attack potential.
Stresser services often masquerade as legitimate tools for testing the resilience of websites, yet in reality, they are designed to disable web infrastructure and online services. Unlike traditional botnets, which rely on compromised devices for control, booter services operate through centralized, rented infrastructure—making DDoS attacks more accessible and scalable.
The PowerOFF initiative was launched well before this latest phase. In December 2024, authorities took down 27 similar services in a coordinated sweep, and prosecutors in the Netherlands and the United States brought charges against six individuals involved in the operations.
