DDOS Attack Story: "The Digital Extortionists

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a security story related to a DDOS attack, drawing parallels to "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll. Participants explore the implications of coordinated attacks and the preparedness of companies against such threats.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a link to a security story about a DDOS attack, suggesting it is a compelling read.
  • Another participant expresses concern about the ability of attackers to coordinate multiple machines for a single attack, indicating a need for improved security measures.
  • Some participants question what can be done to prevent such attacks, with one suggesting extreme measures against operating systems perceived as vulnerable.
  • Another participant argues that the company in the story was unprepared for the attack, likening it to an armored bank vehicle that attracts attention and thus requires adequate security measures.
  • There is a suggestion that if a company chooses to use Windows for servers, they should have knowledgeable personnel to manage security due to its perceived vulnerabilities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the preparedness of companies against DDOS attacks and the effectiveness of current operating systems, indicating that multiple competing views remain without consensus.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include assumptions about the effectiveness of different operating systems and the adequacy of security measures in place for companies facing DDOS attacks.

dduardo
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I found a security story that is similar to "The Cuckoo's Egg" by Clifford Stoll, but involves a DDOS attack. It is somewhat long, but definitely a good read.

http://www.csoonline.com/read/050105/extortion.html
 
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Saw that posted in cola the other day. Interesting story. Nice that they were able to beat the attack off. However, it does not bode well if attackers are already able to coordinate so many machines in a single attack. Something seriously needs to be done to address that.
 
what can be done?
 
TsunamiJoe said:
what can be done?

Burning every copy of windows in existence, nuking Redmond and making everyone use a proper operating system.
 
TsunamiJoe said:
what can be done?
this story is a clear case of the company not being prepared for such an attack. Its just like one of those amoured bank vehicles (they draw attention) and if you are drawing attention then you should have security.

If you want to run windows for a server then have someone that knows everything about it because its one of the easier OSs to break into.
 

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