Denial of Service (DoS) Tactics

Incident Response For Common Attack Types 1. Brute Forcing Details: Attacker trying to guess a password by attempting several different passwords Threat Indicators: Multiple login failures in a short period of time Where To Investigate: • Active directory logs • Application logs • Operational system logs • Contact user Possible Actions: If not legit action, disable the account and investigate/block attacker 2. Botnets Details: Attackers are using the victim server to perform DDoS attacks or other malicious activities Threat Indicators: • Connection to suspicious IPs • Abnormal high volume of network traffic Where To Investigate: • Network traffic • OS logs (new processes) • Contact server owner • Contact support team Possible Actions: If confirmed: • Isolate the server • Remove malicious processes • Patch the vulnerability utilized for infection 3. Ransomware Details: A type of malware that encrypts files and requests a ransom (money payment) from the user to decrypt the files Threat Indicators: • Anti-Virus alerts • Connection to suspicious Ips Where To Investigate: • AV logs • OS logs • Account logs • Network traffic Possible Actions: • Request AV checks • Isolate the machine 4. Data Exfiltration Details: The attacker (or rogue employee) exfiltrates data to external sources Threat Indicators: • Abnormal high network traffic • Connection to cloud -storage solutions (Dropbox, Google Cloud) • Unusual USB Sticks Where To Investigate: • Network traffic • Proxy logs • OS logs Possible Actions: • If employee: Contact manager, perform full forensics • If external threat: Isolate the machine, disconnect from network 5. Compromised Account Details: Attackers get access to one account (via social engineering or any other method) Threat Indicators: • Off-hours account logins • Account group changes • Abnormal high network traffic Where To Investigate: • Active directory logs • OS logs • Network traffic • Contact user for clarifications Possible Actions: If confirmed: • Disable account • Password changes • Forensic investigations 6. Denial Of Service (Dos/DDoS) Details: When attacker can cause interference in a system by exploiting DoS vulnerabilities or by generating a high volume of traffic Threat Indicators: Abnormal high network traffic in public facing servers Where To Investigate: • Network traffic • Firewall logs • OS logs Possible Actions: • If DoS due to vulnerabilities: Contact the patching team for remediation • If DDoS due to network traffic: Contact network Support or ISP

A DDoS Attacks 🛡⚔️ (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a cyberattack where multiple compromised computers (often part of a botnet) flood a target system, server, or network with excessive traffic. The goal is to overwhelm the target’s resources, making it slow or completely unavailable to legitimate users. How a DDoS Attack Works: 1. Infection & Botnet Formation Attackers infect multiple devices (PCs, IoT devices, servers) with malware to create a botnet. These devices, called "bots" or "zombies," are controlled remotely. 2. Target Selection The attacker chooses a victim, such as a website, network, or online service. 3. Attack Execution The botnet sends an overwhelming amount of traffic (requests, data packets) to the target. This exhausts bandwidth, CPU, RAM, or other critical resources. 4. Service Disruption Legitimate users cannot access the target system due to slow response times or crashes. Types of DDoS Attacks: 1. Volume-Based Attacks (Flooding) Overload the target with massive amounts of traffic. Example: UDP Flood, ICMP (Ping) Flood. 2. Protocol Attacks Exploit weaknesses in network protocols to consume server resources. Example: SYN Flood, Ping of Death. 3. Application Layer Attacks Target specific applications (e.g., HTTP, DNS) to exhaust server processing power. Example: HTTP Flood, Slowloris. Prevention & Mitigation: Use firewalls and rate limiting to filter excessive requests. Deploy DDoS protection services (e.g., Cloudflare, AWS Shield). Use load balancing to distribute traffic across multiple servers. Implement Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Web Application Firewalls (WAF). Here are some relevant hashtags for DDoS attacks and cybersecurity: #CyberSecurity #DDoSAttack #EthicalHacking #PenetrationTesting #InfoSec #NetworkSecurity #CyberThreats #Hacking #Botnet #CyberDefense

🪖 #WarfareWednesdays: 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗮𝗹-𝗼𝗳-𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝗗𝗼𝗦) 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗮𝗿 Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks have evolved far beyond their origins as disruptive pranks. Today, they are powerful tools in cyber warfare, capable of paralyzing critical systems and amplifying chaos during conflicts. By flooding servers with overwhelming traffic, attackers can render essential services inaccessible—disrupting government operations, emergency response systems, and even financial institutions. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗦 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 1️⃣ Minimal Resources Required DoS attacks are relatively easy to execute and require minimal investment. Attackers can use botnets—networks of compromised devices—or rent services on the dark web to launch large-scale campaigns. This accessibility makes DoS attacks an attractive option for both state-sponsored actors and non-state groups seeking to disrupt targets quickly. 2️⃣ High Impact on Public Services During conflicts, DoS attacks can cripple communication channels, delay emergency responses, and disrupt critical infrastructure like healthcare systems or transportation networks. For example, targeting government websites during wartime can create confusion among citizens and hinder coordination efforts between agencies. 3️⃣ Attribution Challenges DoS attacks are notoriously difficult to trace back to their source. Attackers often use proxies, spoofed IP addresses, or distributed botnets to obscure their identities—making it hard for defenders to identify the perpetrators or retaliate effectively. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗦 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 - Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) distribute traffic across multiple servers, reducing the strain on any single system and ensuring availability even during high-traffic events. - Rate limiting and IP filtering tools block malicious traffic patterns by limiting the number of requests per IP address and filtering out suspicious activity. - Early detection is key—use advanced monitoring tools to spot unusual spikes in traffic and respond before systems are overwhelmed. - Ensure critical services have failover systems that can take over if primary servers are compromised. DoS attacks remind us that even simple techniques can have devastating effects when used strategically in cyber warfare. Whether targeting public services or private organizations, these attacks highlight the importance of resilience and real-time defense capabilities. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗦 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀? 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗗𝗡𝘀, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗅 Want more #cybersecurity delivered to you daily @ 11 AM Eastern? Then follow Cyber Defense Army (#CDA)!