Description: Denial of Service (DoS) is a malicious attack designed to disrupt the normal functioning of a targeted server, service, or network. This type of attack aims to make a resource inaccessible to legitimate users by overwhelming the system with an excessive flow of requests or exploiting specific vulnerabilities. DoS attacks can be carried out in various ways, including sending malicious data packets, overloading server resources, or manipulating network protocols. In the context of modern network infrastructures, the relevance of DoS attacks increases due to the larger number of connected devices and the complexity of these systems. The ability of networks to support a massive number of simultaneous connections also makes them attractive targets for attackers, who can use more sophisticated techniques to carry out their attacks. Preventing and mitigating DoS attacks is crucial to ensuring the availability and integrity of services in this era of connectivity.
History: Denial of Service (DoS) dates back to the early days of the Internet, with the first documented attacks occurring in the 1990s. One notable attack was on the University of Minnesota in 1996, which used a script to flood the server with requests. As technology advanced, so did attack techniques, leading to more complex variants like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which use multiple compromised systems to carry out the attack. With the growth of modern technology, concerns about DoS attacks have increased, as more complex infrastructures and a greater number of connected devices present new vulnerabilities.
Uses: Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are primarily used to disrupt access to online services, damage a company’s reputation, or as part of a broader extortion attack. In various technological contexts, DoS attacks can be used to disable critical services, such as communication between devices in IoT applications, or to affect the network infrastructure of a service provider. Additionally, DoS attacks can be used as a distraction while more sophisticated attacks are carried out.
Examples: A notable example of a DoS attack was the attack on GitHub in 2018, which peaked at 1.35 Tbps using an amplification method. Another case is the Dyn attack in 2016, which affected many popular online services, such as Twitter and Netflix, by disrupting DNS service. In various scenarios, simulations have demonstrated how a DoS attack could affect communication between devices in IoT networks, which could have serious consequences in critical applications such as healthcare or autonomous systems.
