Prakhar Pandey, Ryan Brunt, Damon McCoy
In this case study, we use the leaked database of a DDoS for hire service, vdos-s.com (VDOS), to investigate how users responded to disruptions in their payment options. Earlier this year VDOS was hacked and authorities were able to arrest the people running the site [2]. Using their leaked database, we analyze user data from July 2014 through July 2016. During this time, interventions were launched by other researchers and law enforcement to disrupt access to PayPal, the primary method used to subscribe to these booter services. In response, many booters, including VDOS, scrapped regulated payment processors in favor of Bitcoin. We show that users who previously used regulated payments methods were unlikely to switch to Bitcoin.