Krebs Pinpoints Mirai Botnet''s likely Author

The fall of last year was a turbulent period for Mirai. It was the first to hijack many IoT devices to launch an enormous Distributed Denial-Of-Service attack (DDoS) on the KrebsOnSecurity website in September. Then, it took the entire internet offline the internet a few months later. Who is responsible for creating the malware? Brian Krebs, security researcher set out to discover the source of the malware after his website was down. Boasted He discovered several sources and evidence that pointed to Paras Jha (a Rutgers University student who is also the owner of DDoS security provider Protraf Solutions).

About a week after attacking the security website the person who started the attack, who went by the username Anna Senpai released the source code of the Mirai botnet, which led to similar attacks. It also gave Krebs with the first clue in their long journey to discover Anna Senpai''s true identity. Krebs created a glossary of cross-referenced terms and names as well as a partial map of relationships.

The full story is admittedly long with over 8000 words, but it''s worth the time to learn how botnet wranglers earn a living by deploying zombie devices on innocent targets. The sources that led Krebs to Anna Senpai''s identity were involved in the use of botnets on behalf of clients in shadows, and unleashing them on security companies protecting lucrative Minecraft servers that host thousands of gamers. When their online gaming is blocked -- for example, by repeated and annoying DDoS attacks -- players leave servers with a reason to jump ship to the security company that can provide protection...in this instance, it was the security provider who orchestrated botnet attacks in the first place.

According to Krebs the source, his security site was looped into the botnet war when it disclosed information in early September that led to the arrest of the two hackers behind the Israeli "vDos" attack service. Anna Senpai was allegedly bribed to unleash Mirai on the KrebsOnSecurity site by angry customers who''d used the vDos service that''s now gone and thereby bolstering the security company''s interest in.