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 Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystems and secure seamless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
l-r: Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA, and Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of NIMC, during the meeting at the NIMC headquarters in Abuja..
NITDA, which made the announcement on its X handle, said that the collaboration was to further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,
During the meeting, Kashifu Inuwa, director general of NITDA, and Bisoye Coker-Odusote, director general of NIMC, with some management staff of both organisations, discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of public-key infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up.
This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives and is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks.
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce group, is thrilled to announce the launch of amazing deals at its Infinix Brand Week. Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative products and cutting-edge technology promises exclusive discounts and special offers on select smartphones, marking an exciting milestone in the realm of online shopping.
Shoppers can expect nothing short of extraordinary deals on a wide range of Infinix products, all available exclusively on the Konga online platform. With discounts of up to 30% off, this partnership between Konga and Infinix aims to redefine the shopping experience for tech enthusiasts across Nigeria.
Konga Brand Week has become synonymous with excitement and unbeatable deals, and this year’s edition is no exception. In addition to exclusive discounts on Infinix smartphones, shoppers can explore a diverse array of products across various categories, including electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more.
“At Konga, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best shopping experience possible,” said Rita Ohaedoghasi, VP Marketing at Konga. “The Infinix Week during Konga Brand Week allows us to continue delivering on that promise by offering incredible discounts and special offers on some of the most sought-after smartphones in the market.”
To stay updated on the latest developments and exclusive deals during Konga Brand Week, shoppers are encouraged to connect with Konga across all platforms, including social media and the Konga website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score big savings and elevate your tech game with Infinix and Konga.
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