E-Business
The Case of Simultaneous, Short Duration DDoS Attacks
Over the last decade, DDoS attacks have proliferated, possibly becoming the primary threat for every website or web application.
The ultimate goal is to bring down sites by flooding them with fake requests, usually from multiple locations. The outcome of such attacks ranges from slow page loads to blocking legitimate traffic.
Among the thousands of DDoS attacks that happen every day, you’ll find attacks that last a number of days, as opposed to short-duration attacks that only take a few minutes for attackers to coordinate and launch at a time.
These attacks are becoming much more commonplace, whether the goal is to take a site down or if they’re used as a smokescreen to divert site owners’ attention.
In this article, I would like to share our real life experience with short-duration DDoS attacks, addressing what happens when this type of attack targets multiple sites simultaneously.
5 Short Attacks in 3 Days
We recently witnessed a three day, continuous attack that targeted two domains of a well-known bank.
On the first day, the bank suffered a significant volumetric attack that lasted five to six minutes, but consumed bandwidth at a rate of dozens of gigabytes per second.
Another attack, that lasted fifteen minutes, took place on the second day, targeting the second domain of the bank. On the third day, the same domain that was targeted the previous day was hit with a long duration attack.
We could see that the first and second attacks were reconnaissance attacks, executed to evaluate which of the two domains was more vulnerable. It is clear that the second domain was more susceptible since it was hit much harder in the third attack.
In parallel, we detected that there was another short-duration spike attack that targeted one of our Telco customers.
Just two hours later, there was another attack against a large utility organization. Because of this pattern, we were able to identify that all three attacks were performed by the same attacker and could warn and better protect our customers against further attacks.
Comparing the volume of bandwidth we’ve encountered on the first day of the attacks, to a DDoS attack’s average peak size of 7.39 Gbps, as reported by SCMagazine, we can see that short-duration attacks use large volumes of traffic in short, shotgun-like bursts.
Attackers leverage these short-duration attacks to evaluate which companies and organizations are easiest to infiltrate.
We assume that this also has to do with the availability of resources. These types of attacks are more likely to come from smaller, private groups that are shorter on resources, as opposed to criminal groups or countries which have access to unlimited resources and can therefore launch long-duration attacks from day-one.
Here’s what we’ve seen over time:
Mitigation
When it comes to short-burst attacks, time is of the essence. Attacks are likely to go under the radar and leave no time to respond.
Organizations managing multiple web domains must have the ability to centralize incoming data, preferably by working with the same security vendor across all their domains.
This enables them to predict attacks by analyzing trends and patterns across their sites. Organizations should demand this capability from their security vendors, who should also be willing to use data from various customers in order to predict potential attacks on other customers, as described in the above case study.
We see a growing number of short duration attacks across our customer base. Awareness to this new pattern is key: customers typically assume that the attack is over, while this may actually be a sign for a much larger attack coming through.
In light of this new pattern using services and tools that can aggregate attack information across customers and websites is an ideal way to predict and avoid the massive DDoS attacks about to come.
Yariv Hazony is VP Product at Sentrix, which provides protection against DDOS and other attacks against web applications, www.sentrix.com
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria has launched a new digital identity verification tool called the NIN Authentication (NINAuth) application.
The initiative, which forms part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aims to strengthen the country’s national digital identity management framework.
The launch builds upon Nigeria’s comprehensive unified digital identity system that has been transforming access to financial services and government programs.
The NINAuth application introduces several key features focused on data security and privacy.
The platform requires explicit user consent before sharing identity information for Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, giving individuals greater control over their personal data.
The system provides seamless access to various government services, including SIM card registration, immigration applications, passport processing, tax filings, and financial transactions.
The development follows significant investment in Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure, including a $45.5 million support from the World Bank as part of the Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project.
As the official service for integration with NIMC’s backend infrastructure, NINAuth enables secure verification processes across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
The application is available for download on both the Google Play Store and Apple iOS App Store for users of the National Identification Number (NIN).
The rollout represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to digitize government services and strengthen identity verification processes.
“NINAuth is a cutting-edge suite of services including web, API, and mobile verification designed to enhance data security, protect privacy, and simplify access to government services,” said Dr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC.
“The platform introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”
The implementation supports the objectives of the recently established Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project Ecosystem Steering Committee, which oversees the country’s digital identity initiatives.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the launch of the NINAuth app and directed its use for verification and authentication across all MDAs.
The application provides a secure single sign-on solution for accessing government services and social protection programs while maintaining strict data privacy controls.
The centralized approach to digital identity management represents a significant step forward in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey and its commitment to modernizing government services.
Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has set in motion a machinery to checkmate the booming copyright piracy market in the country.
Copyright piracy is said to cost Nigeria an annual loss estimated at billions of naira.
Despite the absence of a coordinated or official statistics to gauge the quantum of loss, John Asein, director general, NCC, said as far back as 2019, Nigeria lost N918 trillion ($3 billion) annually to digital piracy.
The financial damages severely impact local businesses and innovation efforts.
The commission, in collaboration with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), has started a project to develop strategies and tools to address the menace.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting on the WIPO project to address online copyright piracy in Nigeria, Asein said digital technologies have unlocked tremendous opportunities for the creative and innovation sectors.
The NCC boss said technology also poses serious challenges, including online piracy, which he said is growing rapidly.
He said: “Pirate sites continue to emerge rapidly, with statistics indicating a 6.7 per cent increase in user visits. A significant percentage of these users are students aged between 18 and 24, with social media and messaging platforms becoming major gateways for accessing pirated content.”
He added: “No industry is immune. The most affected sectors include television (43.6 per cent), publishing (27.5 per cent), film (12.9 per cent), music (7.0 per cent), and software (6.2 per cent).
“Far beyond mere statistics, the victims are no longer only foreign right owners. Many Nigerians in these sectors have also been bruised and their creative enterprises ruined.”
Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has signed an international mail partnership with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines for improved delivery access to over 200 countries without middlemen.
Tolani Odeyemi, postmaster-general and chief executive officer of NIPOST, described the deal as a “major milestone” for the country’s logistics and postal sector.
In a statement on X on Monday, Odeyemi explained that the new agreement marks NIPOST’s first direct international airline partnership for several years.
“For a long time, NIPOST operated without any direct partnerships with international airlines, relying heavily on multiple third-party handlers,” the Postmaster-General stated. This often resulted in delays, higher costs, and uncertainty around the delivery of packages.”
She explained that under the new arrangement, KLM will directly handle all outbound international mail from Nigeria, eliminating the need for intermediaries.
“This translates to faster and more reliable delivery, reduced risk of loss or damage, lower handling charges, and access to over 200 countries through KLM’s global network,” the Postmaster-General stressed.
According to Odeyemi, NIPOST’s breakthrough came after it began settling long-standing debts owed to international carriers, a step she said was key to “rebuilding global trust” in Nigeria’s postal system.
She revealed that talks were also ongoing with Ethiopian Airlines to bolster regional and continental logistics, particularly on African and Eastern routes.
“Our goal is clear and unwavering: to connect Nigeria regionally and globally, efficiently, securely, and affordably,” Odeyemi asserted.
The NIPOST CEO described the development as a significant win for Nigerian businesses and small and medium-scale enterprises that rely on international shipping, stating, “You now benefit from quicker, more affordable international shipping, greater peace of mind with improved reliability, and new potential to reach and grow in global markets.”
Odeyemi commended the teams behind the scenes and pledged continued improvements in service delivery, adding that the deal signals a turning point for the agency.
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