Booter definition

A DDoS attack offered as a software-as-a-service by cybercriminals to anyone who wants to perform the attack. Booters may even include detailed written and video tutorials and email support. People use them to take down websites, companies, or individuals. They may come as a one-time service, but people can also buy access to them for a month or even a lifetime.

Booter use cases

• Business rivalry. If you’re launching a product at the same time your competitor is, they may try to DDoS your website to get more traffic and make more sales.
• Gaming. Competitive gamers may resort to using DDoS attacks against their rivals to get the upper hand and win a match.

Booter vs. botnet

Botnets used to be standard tools in DDoS attacks, consisting of a network of computers and other devices whose owners were unaware they were part of a botnet. Malicious actors could pay hackers to use these botnets in their attacks, but it still required advanced technical knowledge to perform.

At first, booters also used botnets, but as the service became more sophisticated, hackers started using their own servers to be able to offer their clients more powerful booters.

Further reading