Krebs Pinpoints the likely Author of the Mirai Botnet

The Mirai botnet caused a lot of problems in the fall of last year, first hijacking numerous IoT devices to launch an historically huge Distributed Denial-Of-Service (DDoS) attack on KrebsOnSecurity's website in September, and then removing large portions of the internet one month later. NEED REALTOR Who's responsible for generating the malware? Brian Krebs, security researcher, set out to find the source of the malware after his website was shut down. He discovered several sources and evidence that suggest Paras Jha (a Rutgers University student who is also the owner of DDoS security provider Protraf Solutions).

The source code for the Mirai botnet was released by the attacker, who went by Anna Senpai's name about a week later. This led to the emergence of other copycat attacks. However, it also provided Krebs the first clue in their long road to uncover Anna Senpai's real-life identity -an investigation that was so extensive that Krebs made a glossary of cross-referenced names and terms along with an incomplete map of relationships.

The entire story is admittedly lengthy and clocked at more than 8000 words, but it's worth the time to learn how botnet wranglers earn money by deploying zombie devices on unsuspecting targets. The sources who pointed Krebs to Anna Senpai's identity were involved in the use of botnets on behalf of clients in shadows, and unleashing them on security firms that protect lucrative Minecraft servers that host thousands of players. When their online gaming is obstructed -- say, by repeated and annoying DDoS attacks -- players leave servers, thereby giving them a reason to move to whichever security provider can ensure protection...in this case, the security providers who arranged for the botnet attacks in the initial place.

According to Krebs sources, his security site was entangled in the botnet war when it disclosed information in early September that led to the arrest of two hackers who were behind the Israeli "vDos" attack system. Anna Senpai was allegedly bribed by angry clients to unleash Mirai on KrebsOnSecurity and thereby securing their investment in the security firm.