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40-Gbps DDoS Attacks Worry Even Tier-1 ISPs

Posted by kdawson on from the isotropic-tsunami dept.

sturgeon and other readers let us know that Arbor Networks has released their annual survey of tier-1 / tier-2 ISP security engineers. This year they got responses from 70 lead engineers. While DDoS attacks are reaching new heights of backbone-crushing traffic — 40 Gbps was seen this past year — the insiders are also worried about emerging threats to DNS and BGP. The summary notes that "Most believe that the DNS cache poisoning flaw disclosed earlier this year was poorly handled and increased the danger of the threat," but doesn't spell out what a better way of handling it might have been. All in all, the ISPs sound a bit pessimistic — one says "fewer resources, less management support, and increased workload." You can request the full PDF report here, but it will cost you contact information. In related news, an anonymous reader passes along a survey by Secure Computing of 199 international security experts and other "industry insiders" from utilities, oil and gas, financial services, government, telecommunications, transportation and other critical infrastructure industries. They are worried too.

2 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. what's scarier, or not by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Interesting

    i can't decide, is the 40Gbps spike was related to fighting between criminal organizations. so its mollifying that this tool is so far only being used at such screaming proportions as turned on its creators:

    The Arbor Networks researchers said a 40-gigabit attack took place this year when two rival criminal cybergangs began quarreling over control of an online Ponzi scheme. "This was, initially, criminal-on-criminal crime though obviously the greatest damage was inflicted on the infrastructure used by the criminals," the network operator wrote in a note on the attack.

    the new york times had a good summary:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/technology/internet/10attacks.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

    its notable that a lot of this potential is just sitting around, waiting for a chance to be used. if china goes to war with taiwan, or as when russia declared war on georgia, you will see/ saw these countries get DDosed off the face of the earth. that's the really worry: using DDos as a tool of war. the usa can sit around and wait until DDos used against vital government and civilian systems, or get ahead of the curve now

    also notable: reflective amplification. that's the methodology employed. i'm not really sure, but i think that's where you dupe completely unrelated systems into responding to forged packets. someone wiser than me on these issues: is that the general drift?

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  2. Re:let it collapse by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    100% Absolute Bull Shit. Name 1 manufacturer that does this.

    I work for Caterpillar. (You know, Construction Equipment). I've been on the factory tours. I've SEEN a Bulldozer come together from front to end. I can't speak for every component and I'm sure that some parts come from China or elsewhere. But a chunk of the product is made right here built by American Workers. I've seen the robots cutting the plate steel out and people welding it together

    Bulldozers/Pipe Layers (Track Type Tractors) are built in East Peoria, IL.
    Large Mining Trucks, Motor Graders are built in Decatur, IL.
    Hydraulic Excavators and Large Wheel Loaders are built in Aurora, IL.
    Skid steers, Backhoes are in South Carolina. (At will factory).
    Engines are built in Lafayette, IN, Mossville, IL and Greenville, SC. (Only Mossville is Union).
    Paving equipment is in MN.
    Underground mining equipment is in Australia.

    And there are factories all around the world, Belguim, France, England, India, etc. (Ever figure the shipping on a multi-ton vehicle)

    John Deere is in Moline, IA.

    Go on a road trip sometime. Name a Chinese Manufacturer. Kumatsu and Mitsubishi and Japanese. JCB is British, Samsung is Korean. There are no (yet) big manufactures in China.

    Construction equipment is a tool. And just like with hand tools you can go to Harbor Freight or you can go to Snap-On. For some people Harbor Freight is fine. But if you run something 24/7, 365 and every hour costs you thousands of downtime. You don't go cheap.

    I know this is slashdot, but try not to talk out of your ass so much.