Attacks on websites growing in severity
November 13th 2008 05:32
Attackers bent on shutting down large websites - 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.
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 is meant to bring down websites and entire corporate networks. Known as distributed denial of service, or DDOS, attacks, they are 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.
The report, to released tomorrow, shows that the largest attacks have grown steadily in size to over 40 gigabits, from less than half a megabit, over the past seven years. The largest network connections generally available today carry 10 gigabits of data, meaning that they can be overwhelmed by the most powerful attackers.
The Arbor Networks researchers said a 40-gigabit attack took place this year when two rival criminal cybergangs began quarreling over control of an online Ponzi scheme. "This was, initially, criminal-on-criminal crime, though obviously the greatest damage was inflicted on the infrastructure used by the criminals," the network operator wrote.
The attack employed a method called reflective amplification, which allowed a relatively small number of attack computers to generate a huge stream of data toward a victim. The technique has been in use since 2006.
"We're definitely seeing more targeted attacks toward e-commerce sites," said Danny McPherson, chief security officer for Arbor Networks. "Most enterprises are connected to the Internet with a 1-gigabit connection or less. Even a 2-gigabit DDOS attack will take them offline."
Large network operators that run the backbone of the Internet have tried to avoid the problem by building excess capacity into their networks, said Edward G. Amoroso, chief security officer at AT&T. He likened the approach to a large shock absorber, but said he still worried about the growing scale of the attacks.
"It works, but it's not going to work if there's some Pearl Harbor event," he said.
Despite a drastic increase in the number of attacks, the percentage referred to law enforcement authorities declined. The report said 58 percent of the Internet service providers had referred no instances to law enforcement in the past 12 months. When asked why there were so few referrals, 29 percent said law enforcement had limited capabilities, 26 percent said they expected their customers to report illegal activities, and 17 percent said there was "little or no utility" in reporting attacks.
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 is meant to bring down websites and entire corporate networks. Known as distributed denial of service, or DDOS, attacks, they are 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.
The report, to released tomorrow, shows that the largest attacks have grown steadily in size to over 40 gigabits, from less than half a megabit, over the past seven years. The largest network connections generally available today carry 10 gigabits of data, meaning that they can be overwhelmed by the most powerful attackers.
The Arbor Networks researchers said a 40-gigabit attack took place this year when two rival criminal cybergangs began quarreling over control of an online Ponzi scheme. "This was, initially, criminal-on-criminal crime, though obviously the greatest damage was inflicted on the infrastructure used by the criminals," the network operator wrote.
The attack employed a method called reflective amplification, which allowed a relatively small number of attack computers to generate a huge stream of data toward a victim. The technique has been in use since 2006.
"We're definitely seeing more targeted attacks toward e-commerce sites," said Danny McPherson, chief security officer for Arbor Networks. "Most enterprises are connected to the Internet with a 1-gigabit connection or less. Even a 2-gigabit DDOS attack will take them offline."
Large network operators that run the backbone of the Internet have tried to avoid the problem by building excess capacity into their networks, said Edward G. Amoroso, chief security officer at AT&T. He likened the approach to a large shock absorber, but said he still worried about the growing scale of the attacks.
"It works, but it's not going to work if there's some Pearl Harbor event," he said.
Despite a drastic increase in the number of attacks, the percentage referred to law enforcement authorities declined. The report said 58 percent of the Internet service providers had referred no instances to law enforcement in the past 12 months. When asked why there were so few referrals, 29 percent said law enforcement had limited capabilities, 26 percent said they expected their customers to report illegal activities, and 17 percent said there was "little or no utility" in reporting attacks.
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