How a Dorm Room Minecraft Scam Brought Down the Internet

This news article describes the investigation into the Mirai botnet, which carried out major DDoS attacks that eventually posed national security concerns. Originally intended for use in the online game Minecraft, the Mirai botnet grew to become a powerful weapon for compromising IoT devices and launching DDoS attacks against hosts. Its source code also became available, which caused other hackers to imitate and evolve Mirai, leading to fears that it might be used to compromise U.S. elections. The author demonstrates efforts in the public and private sectors to mitigate the harm caused by Mirai and investigate and ultimately sentence its developers. Key words: Mirai, botnet, Minecraft, DDoS