Mobile devices become launchpads for DDoS attacks

January 18, 2014

An increasing number of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against businesses are coming from mobile devices, according to Prolexic Technologies. The American-based DDoS protection firm released data from its fourth quarter 2013 report that suggests mobile applications have and will continue to play a more expansive role in such attacks. The report gathered data from attacks against Prolexic’s clients and showed that one international financial services firm fell victim to such an attack. Subsequent digital forensics and attack signature analysis by the company detected the use of AnDOSid, an Android app that can mount an HTTP POST flood attack. The company has described the increase in such attacks as a game changer and accredits the increase to the availability of downloadable apps and the ease which users can join DDoS campaigns. The company also said it expected to see an increasing number of such attacks in the coming year. Prolexic president Stuart Scholly said he believes that applications commonly used in DDoS attacks like Low Orbit Ion Canon (LOIC) will increasingly become ported to mobile platforms in 2014. To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2089510/mobile-devices-become-launchpads-for-ddos-attacks.html#tk.rss_all