The Phantom of the Deep Net: 2004-2007 Poisonous Flowers in the Russian Jungle

The Phantom of the Deep Net: 2004-2007 Poisonous Flowers in the Russian Jungle

The Russian business network that showed up in St. Petersburg quietly began its activities around 2004. In name, it is a hosting company. But behind the scenes, a stage was set for spam, malware, phishing, illegal videos, and fraud. This organization, which slipped through the eyes of the law and became a paradise for criminals, eventually grew to become a global phenomenon.

The biggest incident occurred in 2007 with the spread of the infamous malware known as the Storm Worm. A single email disguised as news of a storm infected computers around the world and quietly took control. The botnet grew to enormous proportions, and an invisible hand began to manipulate the Internet. Behind the scenes, the organization was its stronghold.

In addition, Spamit, led by a man named Igor Gusev, was spreading illegal drug ads, and its infrastructure was shadowed by the Russian business network. He was searched and put on an international wanted list, but he too disappeared into the shadows. And at the center of the operation was Aleksandr Boikov. Allegedly responsible for the infrastructure, he was never prosecuted and blended into the Russian darkness.

The organization was suddenly silenced at the end of 2007. But its spirit has not disappeared. It has split up, changed its name, and continues to operate in the depths of the Internet. The poisonous flower that blurred the boundary between legality and crime still blooms bewitchingly in cyberspace.