Ontario Provincial Police
Ontario's provincial law enforcement body, which led the Canadian arrest of Jacob Butler in the Kimwolf botnet investigation.
Last refreshed: 29 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How did Ontario police co-ordinate with US agencies to arrest the Kimwolf operator?
Timeline for Ontario Provincial Police
Arrested Jacob Butler on 21 May 2026 on charges connected to operating the Kimwolf botnet
Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences: Kimwolf botmaster held over record DDoS- Who is Jacob Butler and what did the Ontario Provincial Police charge him with?
- Jacob Butler, 23, of Ottawa (online alias 'Dort'), was arrested by the OPP on 21 May 2026 and charged over operating the Kimwolf IoT botnet, which launched a record ~30 Tbps DDoS attack against US DoD networks.Source: OPP / US DoJ
- What is the Ontario Provincial Police?
- The OPP is the provincial law-enforcement agency for Ontario, Canada, founded in 1909, policing approximately one million square kilometres outside municipal police jurisdictions.Source: OPP official
- Does the OPP handle cybercrime investigations?
- Yes. The OPP runs a Cyber and Forensic Services unit that handles computer-crime investigations in partnership with the RCMP's National Cybercrime Coordination Centre and US agencies.Source: OPP official
Background
The Ontario Provincial Police arrested Jacob Butler, 23, of Ottawa, on 21 May 2026 over his alleged operation of the Kimwolf IoT botnet. Butler, known online as 'Dort', faces charges in both Canada and the United States — the US count is aiding and abetting computer intrusion, carrying up to ten years' imprisonment. The OPP made the arrest as part of a broader international operation that had already seized Kimwolf infrastructure in March 2026 alongside three competing botnets. Butler allegedly swatted security researchers who had been tracking him.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is a provincial law-enforcement agency serving approximately one million square kilometres of Ontario outside municipalities with their own forces. Established in 1909, it operates a Cyber and Forensic Services unit that handles computer-crime investigations in conjunction with the RCMP's National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) and US partners including the FBI and the Secret Service's Electronic Crimes Task Forces. The OPP's jurisdiction covers rural Ontario but it operates cross-border cyber investigations under mutual legal assistance treaty (MLAT) frameworks.
The Butler arrest illustrates the operational role of provincial police forces in transnational cybercrime enforcement, sitting beneath federal agencies but often closer to suspects residing in Canadian cities. OPP Cyber and Forensic Services has handled several high-profile cybercrime arrests in collaboration with the RCMP and US agencies, positioning the OPP as a credible partner in joint US-Canada cyber operations.
