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Gangs Extort Companies With DDoS Attacks

Posted by timothy on from the crisis-of-the-week dept.

Pcol writes "The Financial Times reports that gangs based in Eastern Europe have been launching attacks on corporate networks costing the companies millions of dollars in lost business and exposing them to blackmail. Sites have been asked to pay up to ensure they are free from Distributed Denial of Service attacks for a year. One detective reported, 'If the demand comes in for $40,000-50,000, compared to the losses they're suffering, there's an attraction for the companies to pay and hope it goes away. But there's nothing to say it will go away.'"

9 of 423 comments (clear)

  1. Fine. Let them! by freeze128 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The gangs can *TRY* to extort money, but in the long run, it would be cheaper to hire consultants or better administrators. This will have the effect of IMPROVING security worldwide. Thanks European gangs!

    1. Re:Fine. Let them! by TheTomcat · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What exactly would this consultant / administrative talent DO?

      You have 10,000 zombies firing packets at you, spoofed on random IPs, how do you stop this?

      We had to Akamize our stuff.. and that's extremely pricey (think 2+ salaries).

      S

  2. protection market by musikit · · Score: 5, Insightful

    funny thing is with the old mobsters paying protection money to mob A would stop mob B from doing the same.

    what's to stop another DDoS group from doing the same?

    as the movies teach never pay the protection money

  3. Anyone looking for work in security? by phorm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    For $50,000 a year, sounds like a decent wage for anyone who's currently unemployed. Why not just hire a good whitehat instead of caving into blackhat demands?

    1. Re:Anyone looking for work in security? by fliplap · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And then what exactly is a "good whitehat" going todo to stop a DDoS?

  4. Re:It's even cheaper... by satanicat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I can imagine the headline. . , hitman kills a bunch-o 14 year olds for 40 grand=)

    --
    How Now Brown Cow
  5. Any company that pays is stupid by cyberlotnet · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Its not like Gang A can Stop Gang B from DDos attacking a network.. This is not the slums where they can have hired henchmen beat anyone else trying to inch into there area.

    You pay gang A to go away.. a month later gang B hits you.. You complain to gang A.. They tell you its not them.. You pay gang B.. a month later gang C hits you.. WASH and Repeat till your company is broke

    --
    Personal Website
  6. How to collect? by gr8_phk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How do these guys expect to collect the money without being caught? You need to show up in person to accept cash (or at least show up at a drop point) and large transfers can be tracked... Can't they? So how do they collect?

  7. Something easy to steal != cupable for theft by baileytal · · Score: 3, Insightful
    ...an automobile manufacturer makes a car that can be easily stolen (say by jiggling the door handle, and a key is not required to start it) if someone steals this car, and drives it through a business's window, should the car manufacturer be liable?
    No. Theft of property is an act seperate from the nature of that property. The fact that I left my wallet on the window sill does not mean that I am in any way responsible for your choice to take it, or the subsequent fact that you used the money to finance a criminal act. The fact that a car is easy to steal does not weaken the law against stealing the car. There is no such thing (at least not in any jurisdiction I'm aware of) as aggravated theft. Whatever the thief did with the car is entirely his or her responsibility. Now, if the car's brakes were of a faulty design...
    --
    Never at a loss for words... because of the voices.