What are denial of service attacks?

First of all, we will explain what an Denial of service attack. It’s known as a DDoS attack. As the name suggests, it is basically an attack directed against a computer with the goal of causing a denial of service and not working properly.

This attack could cause this service to be completely or partially unresponsive. For example, we can cite a A database of the Internet Causes the page to be unavailable to users. The same can happen with any computer system that can leave the company isolated from the outside world or that workers cannot use the computers to function normally.

Logically this can assume significant economic losses for an organization. If we go back to the example of the webpage, assume that there are products for sale and that the site is blocked for hours. At that time, customers can move to other pages of the competition, so there will be economic losses.

Such an attack can happen when sending a file A large number of requests Spamming the server. It may cause inability to provide service and crash. However, there are different methods and other types of derivative attacks. Let’s see what two of these types consist of: PDoS and TDoS.

What is a PDoS attack

PDoS is a file Permanent Denial of Service attack. It consists of carrying out an operation to sabotage the devices. An attacker locks the device or completely locks the firmware without being able to do anything at all. This team stops working and is only partially compromised.

The victim who suffers from the PDoS attack has no choice but to Repair this device Or even buy a new one. Otherwise, the company or institution that depends on this system cannot continue activities in the normal way.

What an attacker would do is destroy the device through malicious BIOS loading or remote management. It is common for them to exploit vulnerabilities in a device software or a corrupted firmware image.

However, PDoS attacks It can also be performed physically. An example of this is via a maliciously configured USB drive. Using a simple pendrive can put your computer at risk and render it unable to function.

It should be noted that PDoS mainly attacks computers that can be managed remotely. For example a Router, a printer Or any Another network device. They generally seek to modify legitimate firmware for a defective or malicious program that might cause it to stop working.

Thanks to those malicious firmware they installed, they can take control of these devices. They can cause them not to work until they are fixed. Sometimes to fix it, a soft reset and factory reset is enough, but other times it can damage your PC’s hardware.

What is a TDoS attack

Another variety we can find is TDoS attacks. This is a denial of the telephone service attack. It consists of an attacker who initiates a large number of calls and keeps them active for as long as possible against the destination network. This results in them not being able to receive legitimate calls and logically affects the business of a company or organization by not being able to properly serve users.

A feature of TDoS attacks is that they not only target large companies and organizations, but also small enterprises. Over time it has evolved and become more automated. Attackers create Communication campaigns.

There have been examples of TDoS attacks against Very diverse organizations. We can mention the banks call center, emergency services or technical service of many companies.

Now, how can an attacker make multiple calls at the same time? One of the most popular methods is through A. Malware. Malware that downloads onto the phones of many users via social networks, fake pages, and file downloads. This malware has been programmed to make an automatic call to a number that has been terminated.

In this way, an attacker can make calls from thousands of devices simultaneously. Even those same devices can make calls to another organization in the future. Ultimately, this malware can be controlled remotely and tailored to what you are looking for at any given moment.

How to avoid these types of attacks

We have seen that there are differences in the way these attacks are carried out. However, there are some common links, such as vulnerabilities that attackers always look for. We’ll be providing a series of general tips to avoid falling victim to denial-of-service attacks like PDoS or TDoS, and also to prevent our devices from being used for this.

Keep equipment up-to-date

An essential thing is that you always have an Correctly updated equipment. There are many weaknesses that can arise. Cyber ​​criminals can take advantage of flaws in our systems and devices. Hence the importance of always having the latest releases.

Thanks to security patches, we can fix issues. We can prevent an attacker from taking advantage of these flaws and using our devices for a denial of service attack, such as PDoS or TDoS.

Have security tools

Of course we must always install security software. good Antivirus It can prevent entry of malware that puts the system at risk. We have several options at our disposal which is something we have to apply to mobile devices as well as desktop computers.

We have seen that in the case of TDoS attacks, it is normal for an attacker to install malware on multiple users’ devices to make calls automatically. To prevent our mobile phone from being part of this attack, we can install a good antivirus and protect against that malware.

Network Traffic Analysis

We should also have constant monitoring of our network. File analysis Internet congestion This helps us gain extensive knowledge about connected devices, and if at any point we see something strange, we can paralyze attacks of this kind before it’s too late.

Network protection

Another issue to consider is a problem Network protection. This means using strong and complex passwords on our Wi-Fi network, but also keeping the router safe, updating the firmware and changing various parameters that can benefit us and bringing about a noticeable improvement in security.

Common sense

But without a doubt, the most important thing will always be an Common sense. Avoiding mistakes can save us from falling victim to denial of service attacks or from being part of a botnet that attacks third parties.

It is important, for example, to avoid downloading attachments that come to us via e-mail without knowing who might be behind it. It would also be a mistake to download software from insecure sites and may contain malware.

Ultimately, PDoS and TDoS attacks are the two types of denial of service attacks. We have seen what we can do to protect and thus prevent our teams from being hacked at any time.