Internet Attacks Are Growing More Potent and Complex - NYTimes.com

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/technology/internet/10attacks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Internet Attacks Grow More Potent

Published: November 9, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO — Attackers bent on shutting down large Web sites — even  
the operators that run the backbone of the Internet — are arming  
themselves with what are effectively vast digital fire hoses capable  
of overwhelming the world’s largest networks, according to a new  
report on online security.

In these attacks, computer networks are hijacked to form so-called  
botnets that spray random packets of data in huge streams over the  
Internet. The deluge of data is meant to bring down Web sites and  
entire corporate networks. Known as distributed denial of service, or  
D.D.O.S., attacks, such cyberweapons are now routinely used during  
political and military conflicts, as in Estonia in 2007 during a  
political fight with Russia, and in the Georgian-Russian war last  
summer. Such attacks are also being used in blackmail schemes and  
political conflicts, as well as for general malicious mischief.

A survey of 70 of the largest Internet operators in North America,  
South America, Europe and Asia found that malicious attacks were  
rising sharply and that the individual attacks were growing more  
powerful and sophisticated, according to the Worldwide Infrastructure  
Security Report. This report is produced annually by Arbor Networks, a  
company in Lexington, Mass., that provides tools for monitoring the  
performance of networks.





snip


-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com