DDoS attacks are one of the many threats that can exist on the network. As we know they can render a web page inoperative, for example. The goal of hackers is to carry out a large number of requests at the same time so that the servers cannot respond. In this article we echo how these DDoS attacks are becoming more intelligent and at the same time easier to carry out by any malicious user.
Smarter, Easier DDoS Attacks
Although other threats have gained more popularity in recent times, the truth is that DDoS attacks are still very present on the network. In fact we have been able to see that some of those that have taken place in recent months have even broken records up to that moment.
Hackers constantly hone their attack techniques. They are always looking for a way to bypass security barriers, to find any vulnerabilities that may exist and, ultimately, damage systems and equipment.
Lately, this type of attack has focused a lot on IoT devices . We already know that they are increasingly present in our day to day. They are equipment that we have in our homes with access to the network, such as televisions, video players, smart light bulbs … In many cases these devices have vulnerabilities that are not corrected and are exploited by attackers.
This makes DDoS attacks more targeted at specific devices in order to achieve their objectives more intelligently, more precisely. They directly target possible known vulnerabilities that might exist on a particular device.
It is also much easier to carry out an attack of this type. This is due to DDoS-as-a-Service offerings on cybercriminal forums, which are accessible to attackers looking for these types of malicious tools.
This we mentioned allows anyone to rent a DDoS toolkit to carry out attacks against their targets for a few euros a month by renting a botnet with the minimum necessary technical experience. It certainly makes them more accessible than ever.
DDoS extortion attacks
On the other hand, it should be noted that in recent months there has also been a large increase in DDoS extortion attacks . Basically what they do is carry out a DDoS attack and then ask for a ransom in exchange to stop that attack.
We can say that it resembles ransomware attacks . In this case, they also extort money to request money in exchange for re-enabling the servers and making them work properly.
Let’s take the example of an attack of this type against a web page, against an electronic commerce platform. The time that this service is inoperative translates into economic losses for the company. Hence, hackers ask for a ransom in exchange for stopping this DDoS attack and making the web work properly again.
As we can see, DDoS attacks are becoming more and more dangerous, more really oriented to optimize the economic benefit. It is essential that we maintain security, that we avoid risks that could harm us. We leave you an article with tips on avoiding DDoS attacks.