As a young cyber miscreant I operated dozens of booter ("DDoS-for-Hire") services throughout my teenage years, and every single one of them used CloudFlare to protect my websites from rival DDoS attacks. Without CloudFlare's "neutral" security service offerings I couldn't have facilitated millions of DDoS attacks. It's hard to stress just how instrumental CloudFlare is in the success of a booter services operation, booters that didn't have protection from CloudFlare would not remain online very long. [...]
CloudFlare is responsible for keeping booter websites online and operating, the very same websites who's sole purpose is to fuel CloudFlare's very own business model, selling DDoS protection. Dear reader please take a moment to reflect upon the last sentence.
I remember calling this when the private server wars were at their peak, and the popularity of the likes of CloudFlare seem to have boomed almost overnight. I always held the belief that they were somehow involved in the whole ordeal. Invent the problem, sell the solution.
Protection rackets never left, they just become more above the table. The mob at least would probably protect you a little out of pure ego.
Here's a blog of a former DDoS site hoster discussing the situation.
Nice quote:
Well if it isn't the consequences of your own actions...
Firefighters for the most time (from the ancient Rome to the 19th-century NYC) have been just more gangs.
I remember calling this when the private server wars were at their peak, and the popularity of the likes of CloudFlare seem to have boomed almost overnight. I always held the belief that they were somehow involved in the whole ordeal. Invent the problem, sell the solution.
Like a window company paying thugs to smash windows