Canadian Man Arrested in Kimwolf Botnet Case With US Charges

A 23-year-old Canadian man has been arrested and faces charges in the United States and Canada for his alleged role as a principal administrator of the Kimwolf botnet, a powerful cybercrime network linked to millions of dollars in damages. Jacob Butler, also known online as "Dort," was taken into custody in Ottawa on Wednesday by Canadian authorities acting on a U.S. extradition warrant.

The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a criminal complaint charging Butler with one count of aiding and abetting computer intrusion. If extradited to the United States and convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Canadian authorities have also charged him with multiple local offenses, including unauthorized use of a computer and mischief in relation to computer data. He remains in custody awaiting a hearing.

The arrest follows a major international law enforcement operation that began in March, when authorities in the United States, Canada, and Germany seized the technical infrastructure powering four interconnected botnets: Kimwolf, Aisuru, JackSkid, and Mossad. These networks are alleged to have collectively hijacked approximately three million devices and launched...