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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a victim notice on February 5, 2020, for people who believed they might have been affected by Quantum Stress, also called Quantum Stresser. The service sold access to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The notice followed operator David Bukoski’s guilty plea and sentencing; its listed restitution hearing and victim-contact phone number are historical details, not confirmed current contacts.
What was Quantum Stresser?
Quantum Stress, also called Quantum Stresser, was a paid DDoS-for-hire service associated with the domain quantumstress.net. DOJ said these services let customers pay to direct traffic at computers or networks, potentially overwhelming them and preventing people from accessing the internet. In December 2018, the FBI seized 15 domains associated with DDoS-for-hire services, including quantumstress.net. DOJ’s December 20, 2018 announcement described the operation and the allegations against Bukoski.
The FBI uses the terms “booter” and “stresser” for services that enable DDoS attacks. It says participating in DDoS attacks or using DDoS-for-hire services is illegal. The FBI’s DDoS guidance explains the threat and how victims can report it.
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In a February 5, 2020 advisory, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska said Bukoski had pleaded guilty in August 2019 to aiding and abetting computer intrusions and was sentenced on February 4, 2020. The advisory said a judge ordered alternative victim-notification procedures because of the large number of potential victims. The District of Alaska’s victim advisory asked people who believed they might be victims to contact its Victim-Witness Unit.
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How many subscriptions and attacks did DOJ report?
DOJ published different figures in its 2018 announcement and 2020 advisory. They describe subscriptions or attack activity—not a verified count of distinct victims.
| DOJ source | Reported figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| December 20, 2018 announcement | Over 80,000 | Customer subscriptions dating back to 2012. |
| December 20, 2018 announcement | Over 50,000 | Actual or attempted DDoS attacks in 2018 targeting victims worldwide; DOJ did not describe all of them as successful attacks. |
| February 5, 2020 victim advisory | Approximately 70,000–80,000 | Subscribers between 2011 and 2018. |
The figures use different measures and date spans, so they should not be combined or treated as a count of people whose systems were attacked.
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Was I a victim of Quantum Stresser?
The DOJ advisory was for community members who believed they might be a crime victim. A business or individual that experienced a DDoS incident during the service’s operating period may have reason to report it, but the published subscription and attack figures do not identify individual targets. The available notices do not provide a way to determine from those totals whether a particular person or organization was affected.
How do I report a suspected DDoS attack now?
The FBI’s general guidance says victims can contact their local FBI field office or submit a complaint to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI says to report DDoS attacks regardless of the dollar loss or how much time has passed. Use its current DDoS reporting guidance for those routes.
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The 2020 Quantum Stresser advisory listed 907-271-3041 for the District of Alaska U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim-Witness Unit and gave May 5, 2020, as the restitution-hearing date. Those are historical details from the notice; the available sources do not establish whether that phone number or a case-specific victim process remains active. Do not treat the old hearing date as upcoming or rely on the number as a confirmed current contact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does the Quantum Stresser case mean the service is active again?
No such conclusion follows from the later enforcement announcement. On May 7, 2025, DOJ described a coordinated seizure involving nine other DDoS-for-hire domains and said attacks can significantly degrade internet services or disrupt connections. That announcement shows continued enforcement against the broader booter/stresser ecosystem; it does not establish that Quantum Stress remains active or that Bukoski’s 2020 case has reopened. DOJ’s 2025 announcement concerns that later operation.
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