Maximum Security, Fourth Edition

Chapter 16. Denial-of-Service Attacks

IN THIS CHAPTER

• What Is Denial of Service?

• Exploitation and Denial of Service

• Denial-of-Service Attack Index

• Other DoS Resources

In this chapter you’ll learn about denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, how they work, their history, targets, and programs used to launch them.

What Is Denial of Service?

Denial of service is the category of attacks that cause a loss of service or an inability to function. They come in many forms and strike many different targets. The results can last for minutes, hours, or days, and can impact network performance, data integrity, and system operation.

The first DoS attack of significance was the Morris Worm, estimated to have taken some 5,000 machines out of commission for several hours. At ...