Blog 162# The Myth of DDoS Attack Prevention

Introduction

In the cybersecurity realm, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are seen as formidable and hard-to-prevent threats. There’s a common belief that with the right firewall and a high-quality ISP, companies are well-protected. But the truth is more complex: while some attacks can be mitigated, prevention of DDoS attacks in its entirety is still more of a myth than a reality.

1. Understanding the DDoS Landscape: Why It's Not "Preventable"

DDoS attacks work by overwhelming a target’s bandwidth or resources, rendering their services unusable. The distributed nature of these attacks, often driven by botnets spread worldwide, makes them inherently difficult to control or “prevent.” New techniques - like amplified reflection attacks - allow attackers to leverage unsecured IoT devices, multiplying their attack power without detection.

Reality Check:

• Unlimited Attack Sources: With millions of unsecured devices globally, any “prevention” strategy is quickly outmatched.
• Evolving Techniques: Attackers innovate to exploit network protocols, including DNS amplification, which magnifies attack traffic.
• Low Barriers to Entry: With DDoS-for-hire services, even those with minimal technical skills can launch a potent attack.

2. Misconceptions about DDoS Protection Solutions

Security providers often market “DDoS prevention” solutions, but most of these are actually mitigation tools rather than true preventive measures. Here’s a look at what these tools can and cannot do:

• Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): While these can help identify malicious traffic, they aren’t equipped to handle high-volume attacks alone.
• Load Balancers: Load balancing helps distribute traffic but doesn’t prevent an attack from occurring.
• Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): CDNs can mitigate impact by spreading traffic across multiple servers, but sophisticated attackers can still target the origin server or overwhelm CDN nodes.

3. Current Mitigation Techniques and Their Limitations

While no single tool can prevent DDoS attacks, several approaches reduce their impact:

• Rate Limiting: Limits the rate of requests a server can process. However, skilled attackers often adjust their strategy to avoid these thresholds.
• Geo-blocking: Blocking traffic from regions with high attack volumes can reduce traffic, but this isn’t viable for global businesses.
• Anomaly Detection and AI-driven Analysis: Detects unusual spikes in traffic. However, false positives can occur, leading to legitimate traffic being blocked.

The Limitation: These tools are reactionary - able to blunt the effects but rarely able to prevent the attack itself. Skilled attackers leverage adaptive strategies to evade even the most advanced anomaly detection.

4. Real-World Case Studies

Case Study 1: GitHub's 2018 Attack

In February 2018, GitHub suffered one of the largest DDoS attacks on record, peaking at 1.35 Tbps. The attack utilized a technique called Memcached amplification, where attackers exploited misconfigured Memcached servers to send vast amounts of traffic to GitHub. Despite having a solid DDoS mitigation strategy in place, GitHub was overwhelmed for a brief period. However, they quickly mitigated the attack by redirecting traffic through their DDoS protection provider, Cloudflare, which effectively absorbed the traffic surge.

Takeaway: Even companies with robust defenses can be momentarily affected by DDoS attacks, highlighting that while mitigation is possible, prevention is a myth.

Case Study 2: New Zealand Exchange (NZX) 2020 Outage

In August 2020, the New Zealand Exchange (NZX) experienced a series of DDoS attacks that forced the exchange to halt trading for several days. Initial reports suggested that the exchange had strong defenses in place, but the attacks still caused significant disruption. The NZX worked closely with its internet service providers and cybersecurity firms to mitigate the attacks, but the incident underscored the vulnerability of even critical infrastructure to DDoS threats.

Takeaway: This incident illustrates that critical infrastructures are not immune to DDoS attacks, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement in mitigation strategies rather than reliance on prevention.

5. Latest Analysis and Trends (2023-2024)

The years 2023 and 2024 have witnessed significant shifts in DDoS attack patterns, highlighting the increasing complexity and scale of these threats.

a. Surge in Attack Volume and Complexity

• Increased Frequency: Data from Cloudflare indicates a notable rise in DDoS attacks during this period. Specifically, in Q3 2024, Cloudflare mitigated nearly 6 million DDoS attacks, marking a 49% increase compared to the previous quarter and a 55% increase year-over-year
• Hyper-Volumetric Attacks: Attackers have been leveraging vulnerabilities, such as those in HTTP/2 protocols, to amplify their assaults. Notably, in Q3 2023, Cloudflare observed a record-breaking HTTP/2 Rapid Reset attack, which exploited a vulnerability in the protocol

b. Targeted Sectors

• Environmental Services: There has been a staggering increase in DDoS attacks targeting environmental services. In Q4 2023, Cloudflare reported a 61,839% surge in DDoS attack traffic aimed at environmental services websites compared to the previous year, coinciding with events like the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28)
• Cryptocurrency and Gaming: These sectors continue to be prime targets. In Q4 2023, the cryptocurrency industry faced over 330 billion HTTP requests, accounting for over 4% of all HTTP DDoS traffic for the quarter

c. Geographical Distribution

• Source of Attacks: The United States has emerged as a significant source of DDoS attacks. Since Q4 2022, the U.S. has consistently been the largest originator of HTTP DDoS attacks, maintaining this position for multiple consecutive quarters
• Targeted Regions: While attacks are global, certain regions have experienced intensified activity. For instance, in Q2 2024, specific countries saw a higher concentration of network-layer DDoS attacks, emphasizing the need for region-specific mitigation strategies

d. Mitigation Strategies

• Industry Collaboration: The cybersecurity community has been actively sharing threat intelligence and best practices to counter DDoS attacks. Collaborative efforts have led to the development of more resilient systems and the dissemination of effective mitigation techniques.
• Advanced Technologies: The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in security tools has enhanced the detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks. These technologies aid in identifying anomalous traffic patterns and responding swiftly to potential threats.

These recent insights underscore the dynamic nature of DDoS threats and the imperative for organizations to continuously adapt and strengthen their cybersecurity strategies to mitigate potential impacts.

• Increased Frequency and Intensity: According to a report from A10 Networks, the frequency of DDoS attacks increased by 50% from 2022 to 2023, with the average attack size reaching 1.3 Tbps. This growth is largely attributed to the rise of DDoS-for-hire services and the proliferation of IoT devices vulnerable to exploitation.
• Shift to Layer 7 Attacks: Research from Verisign indicates a significant shift in DDoS attacks toward Layer 7 (application layer) targeting, which accounted for over 70% of attacks in 2023. This trend highlights attackers' focus on exploiting application vulnerabilities, as they require less bandwidth to launch successful disruptions.
• Emergence of Hybrid Attacks: In 2023, hybrid attacks combining both volumetric (Layer 3/4) and application-layer (Layer 7) tactics became more prevalent. These multifaceted assaults make detection and mitigation increasingly challenging.
• Focus on Resilience: According to a 2023 study by Corero Network Security, 78% of organizations reported investing more in DDoS mitigation technologies as they recognized the limitations of traditional preventive measures. The study emphasized the need for robust incident response plans and adaptive infrastructure.

6. The Costly Impact of DDoS Myths on Business Security

Misplaced confidence in DDoS “prevention” can result in severe business consequences, from revenue loss to reputational damage. For instance, during high-traffic seasons, such as online retail sales or critical service launches, even a brief outage due to DDoS can result in revenue losses in the millions and erode customer trust.

A study by Corero Network Security found that the average cost of a DDoS attack for organizations can exceed $200,000, factoring in lost business, recovery efforts, and reputational damage.

7. Resilience, Not Prevention: The True Path to DDoS Defense

Instead of seeking mythical “prevention” solutions, businesses should focus on building resilience:

• Redundant Infrastructure: Maintain multiple data centers and backup servers that can bear the load if one network segment is attacked.
• Scalable Cloud Solutions: Use scalable cloud infrastructure that can accommodate spikes in traffic, reducing the likelihood of complete service downtime.
• 24/7 Monitoring and Response: Continuous monitoring with immediate response capabilities helps detect and respond to an attack in real time.

Closing Thoughts

The bitter truth is that absolute DDoS prevention is a myth. While businesses can implement effective DDoS mitigation strategies, true prevention is nearly impossible in today’s threat landscape. The focus, therefore, should be on resilience and rapid response rather than trying to prevent what’s often unavoidable.

References

1. GitHub DDoS Attack 2018: Cloudflare's Blog
2. NZX DDoS Attack 2020: Reuters Coverage
3. A10 Networks: DDoS Attack Trends Report 2023
4. Verisign: 2023 DDoS Trends Report
5. Corero Network Security: The True Cost of DDoS
6. Cloudflare: DDoS threat report for 2024 Q2 & Q3 Blog