Dirt-cheap DDoS: The rock-bottom cost of mounting crippling 400Gbps attacks
'Booter' services run by cybercriminals let anyone with a gripe point a network of infected computers at a target.
You can hire Russian attackers to knock out a website for two days for just $173, according to new research by Arbor Networks.
'Booter' services run by cybercriminals have been on the security radar for a few years because they allow anyone with a gripe to point a network of infected computers at a target and knock it offline for hours, days, or weeks. Whatever suits the buyer's taste and budget.
Arbor Networks malware researcher Dennis Schwarz has probed one such service by a Russian-language operator, who goes by the name 'Forceful'. Schwarz demonstrates how cheap it is to rent a distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack and how frequently it's deployed.
Forceful asks for $60 a day or $400 a week to deliver a claimed 270Gbps DDoS. The rates are consistent with previous research by Trend Micro on booter prices, which ranged between $13 per day to $200 per day in 2013.
Forceful came to the attention of researchers in July after he accidentally published the executable file for a 'cryptor' tool he employed to hide other malware from antivirus engines.
That sample is now widely detected by AV products and it also led Schwarz to Forceful's DDoS bot, called 'G-Bot', as well as its command-and-control domain 'kypitest[.]ru'. This allowed Arbor Networks to track the frequency, duration and type of DDoS attacks operated by Forceful .
According to Schwarz, it's been used against 108 targets since July, with individual attacks ranging from one hour to two weeks in duration.
Just under half have been against targets in Russia, with a quarter against US websites. However, he notes that some of the attacks of less than one hour could be tests since Forceful advertises a free five- to 10-minute test.
"In the end, the total estimated revenue for the 82 attacks from July 9, 2015 to October 18, 2015 was $5,408. The mean estimated revenue per attack was $66 and the mean estimated revenue per day was $54," Schwarz said.
It doesn't sound like a particularly large amount to earn, but new data from CloudFlare suggests that DDoS attacker is becoming a weekend job.
During February it observed a 15-fold increase in individual DDoS events.
"These new attacks are interesting for a couple of reasons. First, the spikes align with the weekends. It seems the attackers are busy with something else during the week," CloudFlare DDoS mitigation team member Marek Majkowski wrote.
"Second, they are targeting a couple of fairly benign websites. This demonstrates that anybody can become the target of a large attack. Third, the overall volume of the attack is enormous."
Most attacks during the month peaked at around 240Gbps, but the largest attack for the month peaked at 400Gbps.
While the booter advertisements offer a fairly reliable basis on which to estimate the cost of a purchasing a DDoS attack, the cost to victims is less precise.
Arbor Networks attempted to gauge the cost per minute that ISPs faced under a DDoS attack in its annual survey, but few people responded to the question. Still, of those who did, nearly two-thirds estimated that the cost exceeded $500 per minute.
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My 4-step routine to make any Android phone run like new again (and works everytime)
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As a person who covers consumer tech for a living, I get to use a few dozen smartphones every year. While I almost always advise on which is the new best smartphone, the majority of consumers don't upgrade every year. I have friends and family who tell me they don't want to upgrade and ask, "How can I make my current phone faster?" I finally have an answer.
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I don't get to use review devices for long, but I have picked up tips and tricks from years of experience that can help boost the speed of your old Android phone. Before you ask, it doesn't involve rooting your device. These tips are easy to implement for both tech-savvy consumers and the average Joe.
If your Android phone has started feeling slow, you should primarily focus on clearing its storage. And if you're unsure about where to begin, here are a few things you can do to make your old Android phone faster.
1. Delete unused apps
Over time, phones can collect a lot of unused apps and leave you with a cluttered space. You might have used a QR scanner app from a restaurant on your years-old trip or a photo editing app that is no longer in use. It is best to uninstall such apps to clear space on your Android phone.
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Decluttering your Android phone can make it faster because it won't need to allocate resources to apps that are no longer in use. Uninstalling such APKs will lead to better resource management and thus, a faster phone. You can go to Settings > Storage > Apps to see the list of installed apps and uninstall the ones you don't need anymore. On the app screen, you can also long-press on such forgotten apps and go to App Info > Uninstall.
2. Clear more storage
Old Android phones tend to collect a lot of junk, whether it be through files or long-forgotten photos of school notes. After deleting unused apps, you should aim to clear space by going through the files and photos saved on your Android phone.
Also: How to clear your Android phone cache (and why it's the easiest way to speed it up)
You can go to your phone's File app to check what's saved. The Downloads folder often houses the most junk from long-forgotten PDF files, photos, etc. There are two more spaces you should check to clear the storage.
- Offload photos from your phone and save them to an external drive or the cloud. This helps create a backup of your memories and clear space on your old Android phone.
Clear the app cache. For the unaware, cache is bits of data that an app saves so it is quicker to operate the next time you open it. I recommend clearing the cache for less-used apps with no saved login information. You can go to Settings > Storage > App > Clear Cache to save more space.
3. Check for updates
Make sure your Android phone is up to date on the OS front. Keeping it up to date will make it snappier and install the latest security protocols. You can go to Settings > General > System Update to check and install the latest available software version.
Also: I changed 12 settings on my Android phone to instantly extend the battery life
Once you have removed the uninstalled apps and updated your old Android phone to the latest OS version, you should go to the Google Play Store and update the remaining apps. It is important to use the latest available versions of these apps to have access to the latest features, better performance, and improved security.
4. Bonus: Adjust the animation speed
You can enable or disable a few settings to make your phone feel faster, including Developer options to change the animation speed. This is slightly more complicated than the rest of the settings mentioned above, but it can make your phone feel significantly faster.
You need to enable Developer options by going to Settings > About phone > Tap on Software information > and then tap your Build number seven times. This should enable the Developer options, so you can now access different animation scale settings.
Now, go to the Drawing section within Developer options and scroll down until you find the Window animation scale. Tap on it and set the animation to 0.5x, so apps and window pop-ups run faster.
Also: Android phone feeling slow? How I changed one setting to instantly double the speed
You can also adjust the Transition animation scale to minimize the speed of moving between home screen panels and within apps. Plus, minimize the Animator duration scale to make opening and closing apps, unlocking the phone, and other general UI animations snappier.
Changing these settings will give your old Android phone a new life. Once adjusted, it should feel faster, with added zip in day-to-day tasks. If you want to give it a refresh, I recommend messing around with your home screen, changing the wallpaper, and adjusting more settings to help it last longer.
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I changed 7 settings on my Samsung phone to significantly extend the battery life
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Samsung's Galaxy smartphones are some of the best Android phones available today, thanks to their responsive and feature-rich software. But most Samsung phones -- especially the flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Z Flip 7 -- come with over-the-top features that you might not use daily.
If your new Galaxy phone isn't lasting an entire day on a single charge, there are ways to make the most of what you have without hindering the user experience.
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Here are seven ways to maximize the battery life on your Galaxy phone. Fret not -- I won't be Captain Obvious over here and recommend reducing the screen resolution or using your phone at a lower refresh rate. The recommendations on this list should bring quality-of-life improvements while maximizing your handset's efficiency. Read on.
1. Use Dark Mode
Most Samsung phones feature AMOLED displays, which can control individual pixels. So, when you use a dark theme or dark wallpaper, the part of the screen that needs to stay black won't turn on those pixels. This, in turn, reduces screen power usage and makes your battery last slightly longer.
How to: Open the Settings app > Display. You'll get two cards for Light and Dark. Tap on the Dark option. Alternatively, you can change the system wallpaper and continue using the light theme, but this will not have the same effect on battery as turning on the Dark mode.
2. Toggle on Adaptive Brightness
This setting ideally comes activated out of the box, but some people turn it off because it's not always accurate. However, over the years, Samsung's ambient light sensor has improved in quality. Your Galaxy phone can reliably detect the lighting in your environment to automatically adjust the screen luminosity. This ensures your display is more efficient and isn't brighter than needed.
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How to: Go to the Settings app > Display and toggle on Adaptive Brightness. It should work in most environments, but if need be, you can adjust the brightness with a swipe down from the Quick Settings panel.
3. Locate and force stop or uninstall power-draining apps
Samsung phones come with a lot of preinstalled apps like Facebook, Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and a bunch of Samsung and Google apps. Identify the ones you don't need, and uninstall or force disable them so they don't run in the background.
For example, not everyone needs the Samsung Smart TV app or OneDrive. When I set up a new Galaxy phone, I uninstall those two and others, including Facebook, Outlook, Microsoft 365, Tutor, and more.
How to: Tap and hold the app you want to uninstall. A pop-up menu will appear. Tap Uninstall. As a result, none of these non-required apps will use your battery.
4. Identify power-draining apps
Certain apps consume more power depending on your location, 5G connectivity, and background usage. Samsung lets you identify these power-hogging apps to help you minimize non-essential battery usage.
How to: On your Galaxy smartphone, you can identify power-draining apps by going to Settings > Battery and device care > Battery > Background usage limits and choosing which apps you want to turn off.
5. Download offline content before travel
If you take the same route every day or listen to the same playlists and podcasts, downloading that content offline is a good idea. Most streaming apps and Google Maps consume a lot of battery over 5G and LTE. When outdoors, it could also make your handset warm to the touch. You can tackle this with a bit of pre-planning: Download your favorite music or maps over Wi-Fi before you leave home.
Also: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was nearly unusable for me - until I downloaded this one app
How to: Go to the streaming apps you want to download content from and follow the in-app steps. For instance, YouTube has a download button on videos, and Spotify lets you download complete playlists.
6. Use scheduled Always-On Display
I love the Always-On Display (AOD) on my Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has an LTPO display that goes down to 1Hz for efficiency, which is handy for features like AOD. If you have a midrange Galaxy phone with a minimum refresh rate of 60Hz, using AOD might not be as efficient. However, you can be smart with it by scheduling AOD for when it's needed.
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For instance, I have it scheduled for 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., so I don't miss any important notifications and have the needed info at my disposal at a glance.
How to: Go to Settings > Lock Screen and AOD > Tap on Always On Display > When to show > As scheduled. While you're at it, also turn off the Show lock screen wallpaper within AOD settings.
7. Use Performance profile
Samsung allows you to choose a performance profile according to your usage. If you don't play games and use your phone primarily for regular tasks like browsing, calling, and the like, you should choose the Light Performance profile over Standard. It will prioritize battery life and cooling over processing speed.
How to: Open the Settings app and go to Device care > Performance profile and select Light. This is ideal for average phone users.
What to do when my Galaxy phone is low on battery?
The seven settings above will not hinder your user experience and will retain the best Galaxy phone features. However, if you're out and your phone is low on battery, you should:
- Turn on Power Saving
- Toggle off data roaming
- Turn off location services
- Switch off AOD altogether
Also: Your Samsung phone has a secret Wi-Fi menu that's incredibly useful - how to access it
I recommend turning on these settings when your phone's battery level is under 15% but you're still a few hours away from the charger. The above-mentioned Samsung settings will also help you maximize the battery on your Galaxy phone.
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