DDos Attacks on the Rise

Over the last six months, Internet security experts have observed an increase in Distributed Denial of Service of Attacks (DDos).

DDoS attacks occur when an attacker uses a large number of compromised computers to send tiny pieces of data, often as small as a 52-byte ping, to a server. So many data packets are sent that the system is overwhelmed, causing it to crash. DDoS is a popular way for hackers to take out websites and web services such as online gaming, banking, and even domain name servers.

Cloud computing provider GoGrid.com was hit by such an attack in March, leaving half of its customers without service for several days. Last month, American server provider The Planet and Brazilian ISP Telefonica were both hit by DDoS attacks. Both companies’ customers were severely affected.

The increase in attacks is the result of an underlying weakness in the Internet. Because of the way many data centers are set up, all their servers rely on as few as two DNS servers. These servers are responsible for routing domain names to websites and, if attacked, can stop thousands of sites from functioning.

Via: The Washington Post