Hacker Behind 'Rapper Bot' DDoS-for-Hire Arrested
UNITED STATES — Federal authorities have arrested 22-year-old Ethan Foltz, accused of creating and running the notorious Rapper Bot, a DDoS-for-hire botnet linked to more than 370,000 attacks worldwide. According to the Department of Justice, Foltz is charged with aiding and abetting computer intrusions and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The Rapper Bot Network
Rapper Bot was described by prosecutors as “one of the most powerful DDoS botnets ever built.” The malware allegedly infected nearly 100,000 DVRs and WiFi routers, giving Foltz and his associates the ability to rent access to criminal clients. The botnet was capable of attacks reaching six terabits per second, overwhelming businesses, social networks, tech companies, and even government agencies across 80 countries.
DDoS-for-Hire Services
Authorities say Rapper Bot functioned as a professional hack-for-hire platform. Cybercriminal customers could hire a hacker by paying for short or extended DDoS campaigns, with single 30-second attacks estimated to cost businesses as much as $10,000 in revenue loss, bandwidth usage, and emergency response. In total, attacks disrupted more than 18,000 victims between April 2025 and August 2025.
Law Enforcement Response
US Attorney Michael J. Heyman called Rapper Bot a major threat, noting its industrial scale and financial damage. Following Foltz’s arrest, authorities confirmed no new Rapper Bot activity has been reported, signaling the botnet’s dismantling. Investigators also seized infrastructure linked to the service, cutting off client access to the DDoS-for-hire network.
The Bigger Picture
The takedown of Rapper Bot underscores how far the hackers for hire market has professionalized. With sleek user interfaces, rental pricing, and scalable botnet power, these services make cyberattacks accessible to anyone with cryptocurrency and motive. While Foltz faces prison time, law enforcement warns that new botnets will emerge to replace Rapper Bot, continuing the cycle of hire a hacker services in the dark web economy.
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