Computer Security Handbook, Fifth Edition

CHAPTER 18

DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACKS

Gary C. Kessler and Diane E. Levine

18.1 INTRODUCTION

18.2 DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACKS

18.2.1 History of Denial-of-Service Attacks

18.2.2 Costs of Denial-of-Service Attacks

18.2.3 Types of Denial-of-Service Attacks

18.2.4 Specific Denial-of-Service Attacks

18.2.5 Preventing and Responding to Denial-of-Service Attacks

18.3 DISTRIBUTED DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACKS

18.3.1 Short History of Distributed Denial of Service

18.3.2 Distributed Denial-of-Service Terminology and Overview

18.3.3 Distributed Denial-of-Service Tool Descriptions

18.3.4 Defenses against Distributed Denials of Service

18.4 MANAGEMENT ISSUES

18.5 FURTHER READING

18.6 NOTE

18.1 INTRODUCTION.

This chapter discusses denial-of-service (DoS) and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks seek to render target systems and networks unusable or inaccessible by saturating resources or causing catastrophic errors that halt processes or entire systems. Furthermore, they are increasingly easy for even script kiddies (persons who follow explicit attack instructions or execute attack programs) to launch. Successful defense against these attacks will come only when there is widespread cooperation among all Internet service providers (ISPs) and other Internet-connected systems worldwide.

Working in a variety of ways, the DoS attacker selects an intended target system and launches a concentrated attack against it. Although initially deemed to be primarily a “nuisance,” DoS attacks ...