DDoS attacks: Attention blackmail
Various cases indicate an increase in DDoS attacks, the main purpose of which is to extort money. This is according to the Reporting and Analysis Center for Information Assurance MELANI. It is therefore publishing a guide with various protective measures.
Extortion is currently one of the preferred methods of cybercriminals to get money quickly, MROS writes. Various methods are used for this purpose, including attacks on the availability of Internet services. In such cases, an attacker tries to make a targeted website or Internet service inaccessible: He floods it with requests. If these requests come from not just one but a number of sources, they are referred to as "distributed" attacks (distributed denial of service, DDoS). This can lead to a great loss of profit for the owner. The extortionist demands money to stop an attack that has already been started or not to start it at all.
What to do. The Observatory recommends:
- Not to respond to the extortion. It is quite possible that even after an initial payment, the attacks will continue and the extortionists will try to extort more money.
- Contact the cantonal police station and discuss the possibilities of filing a criminal complaint.
- If the criminals threaten a DDoS attack, it is recommended to take technical measures with the hoster/upstream provider to prepare for a possible attack.
- Even if you are not currently threatened, but the website is still essential for the functioning of the company, preventive protection measures are indicated.
MELANI has published a document on the topic of DDoS attacks and on general ways to counter this phenomenon.
