FBI erases infamous Qakbot botnet using its own servers

The "Qakbot" botnet, a network of infected computers used by hackers to attack governments and businesses around the world, has been dismantled and destroyed. So claims United States Federal Bureau of Investigation director Christopher Wray, who delivered the news via a short video announcement attached to a press release. According to the FBI, a new technique redirected the botnet's traffic to Bureau-controlled systems, which were then able to remotely uninstall it from hundreds of thousands of infected computers. Bleeping Computer goes into more detail on the actual mechanism used. This particular botnet has been used in 40 or more ransomware attacks, notably targeting government infrastructure and healthcare providers, shaking down victims by locking critical systems and stealing personal data then extorting payment via hard-to-trace cryptocurrency.