"As Finley demonstrated, it’s not impossible to hunt down suspects who use these technologies – it’s just extremely time-consuming and resource-intensive."
Here's the big problem. It can be impossible. If the swatter exercises extreme caution, never registers any device or service in their name, never uses their public IP address for so much as a Google search on "how to swat" and doesn't brag about it online, it is in fact impossible to trace. This makes it tough going into an investigation because you don't know if it's some stupid kid or someone who knows a thing or two about how to remain truly anonymous online. To this point, you'll note there's a common thread in all the stories of this type. It's some stupid kid who gets caught and I highly doubt that's because only kids are swatting. It's because they are catching the dumb ones.
Here's the big problem. It can be impossible. If the swatter exercises extreme caution, never registers any device or service in their name, never uses their public IP address for so much as a Google search on "how to swat" and doesn't brag about it online, it is in fact impossible to trace. This makes it tough going into an investigation because you don't know if it's some stupid kid or someone who knows a thing or two about how to remain truly anonymous online. To this point, you'll note there's a common thread in all the stories of this type. It's some stupid kid who gets caught and I highly doubt that's because only kids are swatting. It's because they are catching the dumb ones.