Recently, sophisticated and massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have been launched by sophisticated attackers. These attacks have been enabled by an increasingly powerful method that DDoSers are using to deliver unthinkable sizes of attacks.
This article will discuss this new method and how it has become an effective tool for DDoS attackers.
DDoSers are using a potent new method to deliver attacks of unthinkable size
A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming traffic from multiple sources. DDoS attacks disrupt by flooding the server with more requests than it can handle. Hackers may target a wide variety of services, from websites and email servers to networked devices such as printers, routers and connected devices like webcams, thermostats and security cameras.
During a DDoS attack, malicious actors send large requests or data packets from many computers – often using automated software – to overwhelm the target’s resources and interfere with its normal functioning. These floods of incoming requests can take down servers, knock websites offline and even disrupt clients’ device connections. As an example, during a DDoS attack on a website, hackers flood the server with so many visits that it no longer has enough capacity to serve legitimate users.
DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly popular among malicious groups because they are relatively easy to launch and can effectively disrupt organisations’ networks or websites. To prevent these attacks from succeeding, organisations need to invest in appropriate security measures – such as firewalls or specialised anti-DDoS solutions – which will allow them to detect and mitigate any attempts at disruption before they cause damage.
Types of DDoS attacks
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are malicious activities that try to overload a targeted system by flooding it with unwanted traffic from multiple sources. A DDoS attack is usually launched when more than one computer connected to the Internet sends simultaneous requests to a target server, to disrupt its normal operations. The sheer volume of requests can overwhelm the target system, leaving standard traffic unable to access the intended resources.
Types of DDoS attacks can be broadly categorised into application, network, and Volume-Based Attacks.
- Application-Layer Attacks typically involve manipulating application layer protocol headers and data streams in order to cause a denial of service condition – this type of attack is often used against Web servers and web applications.
- Network-Layer Attacks focus on overwhelming network resources such as bandwidth, or even attempting to crash routers or other network hardware – these types of DDoS attacks may be carried out using spoofed IP packets containing malicious code.
- Volume Based Attacks involve flooding a targeted system or server with large amounts of data in an effort to force it offline; this is typically achieved by bombarding the target system with requests making it difficult for legitimate users’ requests to be handled on time, or even at all.
The New DDoS Method
DDoSers are employing a powerful new method to bombard their targets with an attack of unprecedented size. This new technology can deliver billions of packets per second, with the power to take down even the biggest of websites.
This article will look at this new method and what it means for those targeted by it.
What is the new DDoS method?
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are a form of cyber attack that uses a combination of compromised computer systems to send large amounts of traffic to a server or website, causing the service to become unavailable. The new DDoS method patterns itself after the common technique used for traditional attacks and adds layers to obfuscate its origin.
This sophisticated attack vector deliberately bypasses control firewalls and intrusion prevention systems with an advanced MITM (Man In The Middle) attack, which can hide the source of malicious data packets. This makes it difficult for network administrators or security experts to detect, identify and stop these attacks as they progress. It also means that traditional methods used by defence mechanisms such as IP blacklisting are ineffective against this new approach.
The attack begins by routing stolen requests through third-party intermediaries, who spread them further through their honeypot-like networks until they reach their ultimate intent: simultaneously affecting multiple websites and services. As this occurs, botnets launch large numbers of request packets from multiple locations at once – distributed from a cloud-based load-balancing platform designed for maximum scalability and speed.
The requests not only target vulnerable web applications but can also propagate malicious content such as spam emails meant to compromise existing systems to gain access and launch an additional wave of attacks directly against the endpoint system housing sensitive data under lock and key.
This new form of DDoS contains some interesting facets that have yet to be identified but bear watching given its potential threat level; however, these current measures should help reduce the risk associated with this type of cyber crime when combined with sound security best practices.
How is it different from traditional DDoS attacks?
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are increasingly popular among attackers seeking to bring down corporate networks, websites and servers. The recent development of a new DDoS attack method has added a creative twist to the traditional attack: using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to amplify their force.
This new approach is primarily directed against Domain Name System (DNS) services, exploiting weaknesses in network infrastructure architectures and cloud-based systems. These DDoS attacks generate massive amounts of “noise” through AI algorithms, making it difficult for companies to differentiate between legitimate and malicious traffic. This type of attack is often referred to as an AI-powered DDoS attack or “RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) Attack” due to its focus on DNS services typically used by web hosting providers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.
One unique aspect of this attack is that perpetrators can launch significantly larger waves than before—up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). What’s more, AI-powered DDoS attacks can target a vast array of addresses simultaneously; previously, attackers could only zero in on a single IP address at a time. Since traditional DNS requests are limited in size and lack the sophisticated techniques employed by AI algorithms, these new methods allow up to hundreds or even thousands more addresses to be targeted simultaneously – making it almost impossible for service continuity around online business operations .
As a result, an organisation’s web presence can quickly be crippled as website requests are blocked from reaching the server due to overwhelming traffic, resulting in significant downtime and customer service interruptions.
What makes this method so powerful?
The new method called ‘Reflection/Amplification’ is a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that has recently been making waves in the cyber security community. These attacks require very little effort to launch, yet can have huge impact due to the scale of the amplification used by attackers. These attacks aim to overwhelm a service or network with malicious traffic through spoofing and amplifying real traffic from various sources.
At its basic level, this attack works by sending out large requests from thousands of fake IPs (Internet Protocol addresses) typically made up or spoofed from real IPs belonging to unsuspecting third-party networks like ISPs or web hosting providers. What makes these attacks so powerful is that they can amplify the amount of traffic received by the target server many times over without any apparent source or source code required by the attacker. Furthermore, these attacks can be launched virtually without cost, using off-the-shelf tools such as the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC).
This new method has become increasingly popular and more widespread because it offers attackers an incredibly strong weapon for taking down entire networks and individual systems quickly and easily. It has been estimated that some 80 percent of all DDoS attacks use reflection/amplification techniques in one way or another, highlighting just how powerful this tool can be when put in the wrong hands.
Prevention and Mitigation
DDoSers are using a potent new method to deliver attacks of unthinkable size – and these new larger, more powerful attacks require new prevention and mitigation methods. In this article, we’ll explore some of the tools and processes that can be used to protect your organisation from these larger and more powerful DDoS attacks:
What are the best practices for preventing and mitigating DDoS attacks?
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are malicious attempts to bring down a network or a network service. These attacks are waged by overwhelming targeted resources with huge volumes of fabricated requests, and they can disrupt legitimate digital activities.
There is no single method to prevent or mitigate a DDoS attack.
Still, organisations can employ several best practices to help reduce their risk and improve their security posture.
- Organisations should begin by assessing and understanding the type of DDoS attack they may be vulnerable to, such as volumetric, application-layer, or protocol-based assaults.
- Additionally, segmenting networks and monitoring for suspicious activity or traffic spikes can help identify potential DDoS threats before the assault takes an organisation offline.
- Developing policies for responding quickly in such cases is part of an effective DDoS defence strategy.
- Organisations should also consider adding services from a dedicated cloud provider or service (e.g., Dyn or Cloudflare). Such services can help detect potential DDoS threats in real time and shift traffic away from besieged networks before any damage is done.
- Working with organisations that specialise in providing such services is an increasingly beneficial approach since they offer comprehensive protection against various types of attacks and have proactive infrastructure set up specifically designed to mitigate their damaging effects if they do occur.
- Finally, regular training programs focusing on cyber security measures should be conducted so that all employees understand the basics of defending against these threats.
What security measures can be taken to protect against the new DDoS method?
Organisations that are serious about protecting their network from DDoS attacks must consider a range of security measures. Even with traditional methods, it’s important to understand what types of threats you face and tailor your defence strategy accordingly.
To protect against the new DDoS method, companies should consider a multi-layer defence, such as purchasing dedicated equipment and services to detect, prevent and mitigate these attacks. Companies may also opt for cloud-based solutions that can detect the more sophisticated methods used in this method.
Ideally, organisations should have a combination of security technologies to detect various aspects of an attack, such as abnormal behaviour or unwanted traffic. Commonly used defences against the new DDoS method include:
- Firewalls/ Intrusion prevention systems (IPS): Firewalls and IPSs can monitor network traffic and identify malicious attempts to access sensitive systems or spread malware.
- Web Application Firewalls (WAF): WAFs provide an extra layer of protection by filtering traffic that requests web pages or content from web applications based upon a predetermined set of rules.
- Anti-DDoS Solutions: These solutions employ specialised algorithms that help detect DDoS attacks using features such as reputation databases, rate limiting strategies and reverse proxies for specific IP addresses or ranges.
- Load Balancing: This helps distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers to reduce the pressure on any one server so it is unlikely an attack will affect them all at once.
- Monitoring Solutions: Many service providers offer real time monitoring solutions for networks which help detect potential threats promptly before they can cause significant damage; providing organisations with alerts when something suspicious is detected on their network so they can take actions quickly before any damage is done.
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