Dutch authorities dismantled a botnet that once commanded more than 17 million devices, a scale rarely seen in cybercrime. Police and the National Cyber Security Center seized 200 command‑and‑control servers hosted in the Netherlands. The operation followed a tip from a security researcher who flagged the sprawling network.

Investigators traced the botnet to a Russian proxy firm, ASOCKS, which sells residential proxies used to mask traffic. Proxy services help users hide locations, but attackers exploit them for DDoS, phishing, and data scraping. The botnet’s reach amplified these illicit activities across the globe.

The National Cyber Security Center said the hosting provider pulled the servers offline after learning they supported criminal acts. By removing the infrastructure, Dutch law enforcement cut off a major conduit for cybercriminals that relied on realistic traffic patterns to evade detection.

This case underscores how proxy networks can be weaponized at scale. Removing such a massive botnet not only protects individual users but also signals that European cyber‑security agencies will clamp down on infrastructure that fuels global cybercrime. The crackdown sets a precedent for future operations.