Slashdot Mirror
An Anti-DoS Tool That Returns Fire
An anonymous reader submits "Security company Symbiot is about to launch a product that can help companies fight back during a DDoS or hacker attack by launching their own counter offensive. A ZDNet UK story quotes security "experts" questioning the legality of such a product and asking how it will will avoid being fooled by hijacked PCs and spoofed IP addresses..."
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
I think the government will back me up.
As a result of their new active retaliation products for DDoS attacks, Symbiot Security apparently accidentally initiated a frontal assult on the popular slashdot.org website as a result of the so-called "slashdot effect" that resulted in a sudden onslaught of traffic. Interpreting this as an intended DDoS attack, Symbiot's software retaliated against Slashdot, thus proving that retaliation tactics need to be rethought.
Jeez, I know we are pretty prolinux, but do we have to be Anti-DOS jsut because it's a miscrosoft product? ;)
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How long before the script-kiddies figure out how to fool servers equipped with this into misdirecting their attacks at the target of their choice? IP spoof a few pings and let Corporate America DDoS itself?
Got mead?
I wish I wish I had mod points to give you. *rofl*.
Just one more slashdotter sick of all the anti-us sentiment on slashdot...
"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge"
- Charles Darwin
WTF does this have to do with Bush? You need to get over your anti-Americanism.
It ain't a first strike and yes it may be a dumb idea, it would very much depend on the nature of the counter attack.
Let's remember that it is a counter attack first and foremost. If it can be done then it hits systems which have been owned, potentially wreaking havoc with the innocent although the innocent who were irresponsible enough to let their system participate in a DDoS attack.
I expect in the US this would be viewed as illegal by the courts and prosecution would follow, but we'll see.
If the counter attack was some kind of misguided high bandwidth DDoS in an of itself (I don't see how it could be practically) then it would be utterly insane and ISPs would be up in arms over this. There's no way that is going to fly.
I think we'll probably have to wait & see what happens. The countermeasures seem to include simple upstream blacklists but also mention a DDoS response, so this is going to get real interesting legally for anyone trying this.