Tag Archive for: Do’s

Know the difference, defend against the danger: DoS vs DDoS attacks

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Key differences between DoS and DDoS

Here are some detailed differences between DoS and DDoS attacks:

Source of Attack

The primary difference between DoS and DDoS attacks is the source of the attack. In a DoS attack, the attacker uses a single device or network to carry out the attack, while in a DDoS attack, the attacker uses a network of compromised devices (botnet) to flood the target with traffic.

Scale

The scale of the attack is another critical difference between DoS and DDoS attacks. In a DoS attack, the attacker can only generate a limited amount of traffic, which may not be enough to bring down a well-protected website or network. In contrast, a DDoS attack can involve thousands or even millions of devices, generating massive amounts of traffic that can overwhelm even the most robust defenses.

Complexity

DDoS attacks are generally more complex than DoS attacks. The attacker needs to infect a large number of devices with malware to create the botnet, which requires advanced technical skills and knowledge. Additionally, DDoS attacks may use different techniques to evade detection and mitigation, such as IP spoofing, amplification attacks, and randomization of attack patterns.

Duration

DoS attacks are typically shorter in duration than DDoS attacks. A DoS attack may last a few minutes to a few hours, while a DDoS attack can last for days or even weeks. The longer duration of a DDoS attack makes it much more challenging to mitigate and recover from.

Impact

DoS attacks and DDoS attacks can both have a significant impact on the target website or network. However, DDoS attacks can be much more damaging, as they can result in extended periods of downtime, data loss, and financial losses.

Motivation

DoS attacks are usually carried out by individuals seeking attention or revenge, while DDoS attacks are often carried out by organized criminal groups, hacktivists, or state-sponsored actors seeking to disrupt or damage a target website or network.

Also Read: Role Of Cyber Security In Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide

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Internet Security Best Practices for Cable Operators

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Are Decade-Old DoS Tools Still Relevant in 2021?

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Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

After Anonymous fell apart in 2016, the threat landscape shifted rapidly. The once mainstream group of organized Denial of Service (DoS) attacks with simple GUI-based tools were no more; as the era of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and DDoS-as-a-Service began to take shape under the power of new IoT botnets such as Bashlite and Mirai.

While Anonymous has not entirely disappeared, its digital footprint has significantly reduced over the last five years. Today, you can still find Anonymous accounts on the usual social media outlets and video platforms spreading operational propaganda, but with limited impact compared to the past.  However, during a recent Anonymous operation, I was surprised to find that the group, which still uses PasteBin and GhostBin (to centralize operational details), had updated their target list from years prior and suggested the use of Memcached and other reflective attack vectors. They recommended using antiquated DoS tools, such as LOIC, HOIC, ByteDoS, and Pyloris, all nearly 10-years-old.

Tools of The Past

HOIC

High Orbit Ion Cannon, or HOIC for short, is a network stress testing tool related to LOIC; both are used to launch Denial of Service attacks popularized by Anonymous. This tool can cause a Denial of Service through the use of HTTP floods. Additionally, HOIC has a built-in scripting system that accepts .hoic files called boosters. These files allow a user to deploy anti-DDoS randomization countermeasures and increase the magnitude of the attack.

While it has no significant obfuscation or anonymization techniques to protect the user’s origin, the use of .hoic “booster” scripts allows the user to specify a list of rotating target URLs, referrers, user agents, and headers. This effectively causes a Denial of Service condition by attacking multiple pages on the same site while making it seem like attacks are coming from several different users.

Figure 1: HOIC

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ByteDOS

Once considered a destructive tool, ByteDoS has become a novelty in 2021. ByteDos is a Windows desktop DoS application. It is a simple, standalone executable file that does…

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