OPP officials allege: A 23-year-old Ottawa resident is facing criminal charges following an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police Cybercrime Investigations Team into what investigators say are major botnets responsible for large-scale distributed denial-of-service attacks.
In January 2026, the OPP Cybercrime Investigations Team launched an investigation into two botnets known as Kimwolf and Aisuru, which are believed to be linked to some of the largest DDoS attacks recorded to date.
At the same time, coordinated and independent investigations were carried out internationally by multiple law enforcement partners, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, the Sûreté du Québec, the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt.
Police say that on March 19, 2026, OPP Cybercrime Investigations Team officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Ottawa with assistance from the Ottawa Police Service, where multiple electronic devices were seized.
As a result of the investigation, the accused was arrested on May 20, 2026 and charged with unauthorized use of a computer, possession of a device to obtain unauthorized use of a computer system or to commit mischief, and mischief in relation to computer data.
The accused remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa on May 26, 2026.
“DDoS attacks are borderless crimes. The actions of cybercriminals can cause disruption here at home, even when the attack is launched from thousands of kilometres away. That’s why understanding DDoS attacks at a global level is essential to protecting the public and explaining the instability they cause.”
The OPP Cybercrime Investigations Team thanked its domestic and international partners for their assistance in the investigation.
Police are encouraging anyone with information related to cybercrime activity to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous tips can be provided through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or online.
