A bot, short for “robot,” is a software program that can perform tasks automatically, quickly, and efficiently. Both good bots and bad bots exist; Googlebot facilitates web page indexing, but LizardStresser orchestrates DDoS attacks. Because good and bad bots share certain traits, distinguishing between them can be tricky unless the correct bot detection techniques are used. In this article, we examine the evolution of bot detection techniques in response to the ever-changing threat landscape and discuss how bots can be detected and, when desirable, stopped.
What Is Bot Detection?
Bot detection is the process of identifying and distinguishing between legitimate human users, good bots, and bad bots. Because bots can mimic certain legitimate user behaviors, such as mouse movements and keystrokes, cybersecurity professionals and business leaders should implement bot detection as an integral component of their security strategy. Otherwise, you could end up with misleading analytics, compromised user experiences, and potential security breaches that can harm your organization’s reputation and bottom line.
Bot detection helps to mitigate malicious bot activities such as unethical web scraping, spamming, account takeover, click fraud, and DDoS attacks, without interfering with good bots such as website uptime monitors. Effective bot detection enhances cybersecurity and improves the web user’s overall experience.
Botnet Detection Techniques
Over the decades, different botnet mitigation techniques have been developed to deal with the challenges of stopping bad bots while allowing good bots to continue their activities. These techniques typically involve identifying the command-and-control infrastructure coordinating the botnet activities. However, since botnets keep evolving to bypass mitigation measures, new and better botnet detection and mitigation strategies are continuously being developed.
Let’s examine botnet detection techniques. We’ll start with the oldest and then look at contemporary techniques. However, new techniques build on the old, and all these techniques still play a part in botnet detection today.
Intrusion Detection Systems
Intrusion detection systems (IDS) emerged in the late 1980s to monitor and analyze network traffic for security incidents like unauthorized access and policy violations. IDS can detect threats, such as botnets, and alert security teams. Intrusion prevention systems (IPS) can proactively mitigate detected threats. Modern IDPS (intrusion detection and prevention systems) combine IDS and IPS functions.
IDS is trained on data from sources like network traffic, system logs, and application activity. Botnet-focused IDS can be anomaly-based (monitoring abnormal behaviors) or signature-based (matching patterns with known botnets).
When a potential botnet is detected, the IDS generates alerts or notifications based on severity. Depending on cybersecurity policies, the IDS may block traffic, isolate systems, or alert security teams. IDS also generates incident logs and reports, detailing the time of incidents, detected threats, countermeasures, and recommendations for improvement.
Intrusion detection systems can be grouped into six types:
- Network-Based Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS): These monitor real-time network traffic and analyze packets on network segments or devices to detect attacks like DoS, port scanning, and reconnaissance.
- Protocol-Based Intrusion Detection Systems (PIDS): A type of NIDS that targets specific network communication protocols (e.g., P2P, HTTP, IRC) to protect against intrusion and policy violations. PIDS is limited in scope.
- Machine Learning-Based Intrusion Detection Systems (ML-IDS): Subset of NIDS using machine learning algorithms to detect network intrusions and malicious activities by learning from historical data. ML-IDS is more efficient than traditional rule-based systems but requires fine-tuning to minimize false positives.
- Host-Based Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS): Monitor the computer infrastructure they are installed on (e.g., computers, servers) to safeguard against attacks. They gather data, analyze traffic, and log suspicious behavior, providing insights into system health and security. HIDS is an approach that’s most suitable for small teams with lean overheads.
- Hybrid Intrusion Detection Systems: Combine different detection techniques (e.g., NIDS, HIDS, anomaly-based, signature-based) in a single framework to effectively detect botnet activity and provide insightful data. Problematically, they create a single point of failure and are complex to troubleshoot.
- Multi-Layered Intrusion Detection Systems: These systems combine different detection techniques (e.g., NIDS, HIDS, anomaly-based, signature-based) in a layered approach, with each IDS as a separate component. They eliminate a single point of failure and simplify troubleshooting but complicate setup, management, and reporting.
To summarize, intrusion detection systems (IDS) enhance network security by monitoring and analyzing traffic to detect potential threats, providing valuable insights and real-time response capabilities. However, they can produce false positives, require ongoing maintenance and fine-tuning, and may be complex to manage and integrate into existing security frameworks.
Honeynet
First used around the year 2000, a honeynet is a network of traps or decoy networks (honeypots) set up with built-in vulnerabilities to attract cyberattacks. A typical honeynet comprises two or more honeypots. Honeynets aid in botnet detection by deliberately exposing vulnerabilities that attract malicious attacks. This deception technique allows botnet attacks to be studied in a controlled environment or managed and stopped, as needed.
As such, there are two main types of honeynets: research honeynets and production honeynets. Research honeynets are primarily set up to study attack vector tactics, techniques, and procedures, while production honeynets are deployed within production environments.
Despite their effectiveness, honeynets have limitations, such as setup complexity, limited network coverage, and high maintenance overhead, especially for high-capacity setups. Additionally, honeynets can sometimes be detected, bypassed, armed, and deployed against the production network itself.
DNS-Based Botnet Detection
Around 2005, the DNS-based botnet detection technique started to gain popularity. DNS-based botnet detection works by monitoring the way computers use the Domain Name System (DNS) to find websites. When you enter a website address into your browser, your computer uses DNS to find the numerical IP address that corresponds to that website. Botnets, which are networks of infected computers controlled by cybercriminals, often need to communicate with the attackers’ servers to receive instructions. They use DNS to find these servers.
A botnet detection system monitors all DNS requests made by network computers. They analyze which domain names are being requested and how often. Since botnets often use unusual domain names that people don’t typically visit, the systems look for patterns that indicate suspicious activity, such as frequent requests to these strange or newly created domains. They can then block the requests to these malicious domains, preventing the infected computers from communicating with the cybercriminals.
Although they provide real-time detection, network-wide coverage, low false-positive rates, and threat intelligence gathering, they are prone to evasion techniques and are limited by their reliance on external threat intelligence sources for domain reputation data.
Comparison of Botnet Detection Techniques
Here’s how these three botnet detection techniques compare.
| Feature | Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) | Honeynet | DNS-Based Botnet Detection |
| Definition | Network security tools monitor and analyze network traffic for potential threats | Network of traps or decoy networks designed to attract cyberattacks | Technique monitoring and analyzing DNS traffic for botnet activity |
| Detection focus | Network traffic, system logs, and application activity | Cyberattackers’ behavior and tactics | DNS traffic patterns, requests, and responses |
| Detection methods | Signature-based, anomaly-based, machine learning | Deception through vulnerabilities | Domain reputation checks, anomaly detection |
| Data collected | Network traffic, system logs, application activity | Attack interactions with honeypots | DNS traffic, requests, responses |
| Alerting and response | Generates alerts, blocks traffic, isolates systems | Studies attacks, handles malicious interactions | Blocks connections, redirects to sinkholes, alerts |
| Use cases | Prevents unauthorized access, breaches, policy violations | Studies attack tactics, gathers threat intelligence | Real-time botnet detection, low false positives |
| Complexity | Varies based on IDS type (NIDS, HIDS, hybrid, multi-layered) | Moderate to high due to setup and maintenance | Moderate, relies on DNS traffic analysis |
| Effectiveness | Effective for detecting network-based threats | Effective for studying attacks, gathering threat intel | Effective for real-time botnet detection |
| Limitations | Can be bypassed by sophisticated attacks | Setup complexity, limited network coverage | Prone to evasion techniques, reliance on external data |
| Deployment | Network-wide, host-based, hybrid, multi-layered | Controlled environment, production networks | DNS infrastructure monitoring |
| Popularity | Widely used in cybersecurity | Less common due to complexity | Increasing popularity |
| Future evolution | Evolving to integrate AI, threat intelligence | Evolving to address evasion techniques | Evolving to handle DNS tunneling |
| Management overhead | Varied based on IDS type and deployment | High for setup, maintenance, and monitoring | Moderate for DNS traffic analysis |
How to Stop Botnets
Now we know how undesirable botnets are detected, let’s turn to how they can be stopped. Three main options exist: CAPTCHA, rate limiting, and bot protection.
A. JS Challenges/CAPTCHA
One way to stop bad bot activity is by implementing JS Challenges and CAPTCHA on your websites or web applications. Both are effective security mechanisms used to protect against malicious bots, automated scripts, and other unauthorized automated activities, such as web scraping.
Gcore provides JS Challenge and JS CAPTCHA solutions as part of Gcore WAAP. First, a JS challenge runs a small piece of JavaScript code in the user’s browser, which a bot typically cannot execute. This code checks for typical human behavior and browser characteristics to ensure the request comes from a legitimate user. Next, a CAPTCHA presents a task that is easy for humans but difficult for bots, such as identifying objects in images or solving simple puzzles. By completing these tasks, users prove they are human, thereby preventing automated systems from accessing or abusing web services.
But there’s a downside: CAPTCHAs do not distinguish between beneficial bots (such as search engine crawlers or monitoring tools) and malicious bots. They can impede good bots from performing their intended functions. To allow good bots while still protecting against malicious ones, website administrators need to create exceptions or use alternative verification methods that can recognize and permit trusted bots. Gcore manages this process with our WAAP customers to ensure good bots continue to function effectively.
B. Rate Limiting
A key characteristic of bots is their ability to automate and rapidly scale tasks. For example, bots can fill and submit forms much faster than humans, sending a large number of requests to the server and receiving an equally large number of responses. This can drain server resources and degrade site performance.
Rate limiting controls the number of requests an IP address or IP range can make to a resource within a certain timeframe. This method mitigates bad bot activity on websites or web applications. Good bots don’t engage in this kind of behavior, so there’s not much risk of stopping their activity with a rate limiter.
Gcore Rate Limiter protects your websites and web applications from excessive requests that signal bad bot activity. You can specify a set of rules dictating how many requests are allowed per IP address per second. Once this limit is exceeded, the requester will receive an HTTP 429 (Too Many Requests) error message.
Stop Bad Bots with Gcore WAAP
While bot detection techniques such as honeynets, DNS-based bot detectors, and intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are effective in their own right, a hybrid or multi-layered bot detection approach is the most accurate way to detect bot activity. Gcore WAAP (Web Application Firewall + API Protection) is the ultimate all-in-one bot detection and protection solution for your websites and web applications. Gcore WAAP incorporates bot protection with a web application firewall, API security, and advanced DDoS protection to offer enhanced enterprise-grade security.
We protect against threats including and beyond the OWASP Top 10, addressing unpatched vulnerabilities and zero-day attacks by leveraging machine learning technologies. With Gcore WAAP, you enjoy API-specific protection and security against credential stuffing, account takeover, brute force attacks, and L7 DDoS attacks.
Gcore WAAP is scalable to meet your needs, regardless of industry. It is also easy to deploy—no additional hardware, software, or changes in the code are required on your part. Once you send a request, Gcore will start protecting your web resources immediately. Request Gcore WAAP today and enjoy bot-free websites and web applications.
Conclusion
Detecting and stopping bad bots involves a combination of advanced techniques tailored to identify and mitigate malicious activities while allowing beneficial bots to operate. Implementing a multi-layered bot detection strategy, such as Gcore WAAP, ensures comprehensive protection against various threats while maintaining website performance and user experience.
Gcore WAAP is integrated into Gcore’s global infrastructure, operating on 180+ global points of presence in Tier III and IV data centers, ensuring optimal performance, low latency worldwide, and outstanding security at the network’s edge. Secure your web applications and APIs against the most sophisticated cyber threats to safeguard your business’ reputation.
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Why do bad actors carry out Minecraft DDoS attacks?
One of the most played video games in the world, Minecraft, relies on servers that are frequently a target of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. But why would malicious actors target Minecraft servers? In this article, we’ll look at why these servers are so prone to DDoS attacks and uncover the impact such attacks have on the gaming community and broader cybersecurity landscape. For a comprehensive analysis and expert tips, read our ultimate guide to preventing DDoS attacks on Minecraft servers.Disruption for financial gainFinancial exploitation is a typical motivator for DDoS attacks in Minecraft. Cybercriminals frequently demand ransom to stop their attacks. Server owners, especially those with lucrative private or public servers, may feel pressured to pay to restore normalcy. In some cases, bad actors intentionally disrupt competitors to draw players to their own servers, leveraging downtime for monetary advantage.Services that offer DDoS attacks for hire make these attacks more accessible and widespread. These malicious services target Minecraft servers because the game is so popular, making it an attractive and easy option for attackers.Player and server rivalriesRivalries within the Minecraft ecosystem often escalate to DDoS attacks, driven by competition among players, servers, hosts, and businesses. Players may target opponents during tournaments to disrupt their gaming experience, hoping to secure prize money for themselves. Similarly, players on one server may initiate attacks to draw members to their server and harm the reputation of other servers. Beyond individual players, server hosts also engage in DDoS attacks to disrupt and induce outages for their rivals, subsequently attempting to poach their customers. On a bigger scale, local pirate servers may target gaming service providers entering new markets to harm their brand and hold onto market share. These rivalries highlight the competitive and occasionally antagonistic character of the Minecraft community, where the stakes frequently surpass in-game achievements.Personal vendettas and retaliationPersonal conflicts can occasionally be the source of DDoS attacks in Minecraft. In these situations, servers are targeted in retribution by individual gamers or disgruntled former employees. These attacks are frequently the result of complaints about unsolved conflicts, bans, or disagreements over in-game behavior. Retaliation-driven DDoS events can cause significant disruption, although lower in scope than attacks with financial motivations.Displaying technical masterySome attackers carry out DDoS attacks to showcase their abilities. Minecraft is a perfect testing ground because of its large player base and community-driven server infrastructure. Successful strikes that demonstrate their skills enhance reputations within some underground communities. Instead of being a means to an end, the act itself becomes a badge of honor for those involved.HacktivismHacktivists—people who employ hacking as a form of protest—occasionally target Minecraft servers to further their political or social goals. These attacks are meant to raise awareness of a subject rather than be driven by personal grievances or material gain. To promote their message, they might, for instance, assault servers that are thought to support unfair policies or practices. This would be an example of digital activism. Even though they are less frequent, these instances highlight the various reasons why DDoS attacks occur.Data theftMinecraft servers often hold significant user data, including email addresses, usernames, and sometimes even payment information. Malicious actors sometimes launch DDoS attacks as a smokescreen to divert server administrators’ attention from their attempts to breach the server and steal confidential information. This dual-purpose approach disrupts gameplay and poses significant risks to user privacy and security, making data theft one of the more insidious motives behind such attacks.Securing the Minecraft ecosystemDDoS attacks against Minecraft are motivated by various factors, including personal grudges, data theft, and financial gain. Every attack reveals wider cybersecurity threats, interferes with gameplay, and damages community trust. Understanding these motivations can help server owners take informed steps to secure their servers, but often, investing in reliable DDoS protection is the simplest and most effective way to guarantee that Minecraft remains a safe and enjoyable experience for players worldwide. By addressing the root causes and improving server resilience, stakeholders can mitigate the impact of such attacks and protect the integrity of the game.Gcore offers robust, multi-layered security solutions designed to shield gaming communities from the ever-growing threat of DDoS attacks. Founded by gamers for gamers, Gcore understands the industry’s unique challenges. Our tools enable smooth gameplay and peace of mind for both server owners and players.Want an in-depth look at how to secure your Minecraft servers?Download our ultimate guide
What is a DDoS attack?
A DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack is a type of cyberattack in which a hacker overwhelms a server with an excessive number of requests, causing the server to stop functioning properly. This can cause the website, app, game, or other online service to become slow, unresponsive, or completely unavailable. DDoS attacks can result in lost customers and revenue for the victim. DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly common, with a 46% increase in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.How do DDoS attacks work?DDoS attacks work by overwhelming and flooding a company’s resources so that legitimate users cannot get through. The attacker creates huge amounts of malicious traffic by creating a botnet, a collection of compromised devices that work together to carry out the attack without the device owners’ knowledge. The attacker, referred to as the botmaster, sends instructions to the botnet in order to implement the attack. The attacker forces these bots to send an enormous amount of internet traffic to a victim’s resource. As a result, the server can’t process real users trying to access the website or app. This causes customer dissatisfaction and frustration, lost revenue, and reputational damage for companies.Think of it this way: Imagine a vast call center. Someone dials the number but gets a busy tone. This is because a single spammer has made thousands of automated calls from different phones. The call center’s lines are overloaded, and the legitimate callers cannot get through.DDoS attacks work similarly, but online: The fraudster’s activity completely blocks the end users from reaching the website or online service.Different types of DDoS attacksThere are three categories of DDoS attacks, each attacking a different network communication layer. These layers come from the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, the foundational framework for network communication that describes how different systems and devices connect and communicate. This model has seven layers. DDoS attacks seek to exploit vulnerabilities across three of them: L3, L4, and L7.While all three types of attacks have the same end goal, they differ in how they work and which online resources they target. L3 and L4 DDoS attacks target servers and infrastructure, while L7 attacks affect the app itself.Volumetric attacks (L3) overwhelm the network equipment, bandwidth, or server with a high volume of traffic.Connection protocol attacks (L4) target the resources of a network-based service, like website firewalls or server operating systems.Application layer attacks (L7) overwhelm the network layer, where the application operates with many malicious requests, which leads to application failure.1. Volumetric attacks (L3)L3, or volumetric, DDoS attacks are the most common form of DDoS attack. They work by flooding internal networks with malicious traffic, aiming to exhaust bandwidth and disrupt the connection between the target network or service and the internet. By exploiting key communication protocols, attackers send massive amounts of traffic, often with spoofed IP addresses, to overwhelm the victim’s network. As the network equipment strains to process this influx of data, legitimate requests are delayed or dropped, leading to service degradation or even complete network failure.2. Connection protocol attacks (L4)Protocol attacks occur when attackers send connection requests from multiple IP addresses to target server open ports. One common tactic is a SYN flood, where attackers initiate connections without completing them. This forces the server to allocate resources to these unfinished sessions, quickly leading to resource exhaustion. As these fake requests consume the server’s CPU and memory, legitimate traffic is unable to get through. Firewalls and load balancers managing incoming traffic can also be overwhelmed, resulting in service outages.3. Application layer attacks (L7)Application layer attacks strike at the L7 layer, where applications operate. Web applications handle everything from simple static websites to complex platforms like e-commerce sites, social media networks, and SaaS solutions. In an L7 attack, a hacker deploys multiple bots or machines to repeatedly request the same resource until the server becomes overwhelmed.By mimicking genuine user behavior, attackers flood the web application with seemingly legitimate requests, often at high rates. For example, they might repeatedly submit incorrect login credentials or overload the search function by continuously searching for products. As the server consumes its resources managing these fake requests, genuine users experience slow response times or may be completely denied access to the application.How can DDoS attacks be prevented?To stay one step ahead of attackers, use a DDoS protection solution to protect your web resources. A mitigation solution detects and blocks harmful DDoS traffic sent by attackers, keeping your servers and applications safe and functional. If an attacker targets your server, your legitimate users won’t notice any change—even during a considerable attack—because the protection solution will allow safe traffic while identifying and blocking malicious requests.DDoS protection providers also give you reports on attempted DDoS attacks. This way, you can track when the attack happened, as well as the size and scale of the attack. This enables you to respond effectively, analyze the potential implications of the attack, and implement risk management strategies to mitigate future disruptions.Repel DDoS attacks with GcoreAt Gcore, we offer robust and proven security solutions to protect your business from DDoS attacks. Gcore DDoS Protection provides comprehensive mitigation at L3, L4, and L7 for websites, apps, and servers. We also offer L7 protection as part of Gcore WAAP, which keeps your web apps and APIs secure against a range of modern threats using AI-enabled threat detection.Take a look at our recent Radar report to learn more about the latest DDoS attack trends and the changing strategies and patterns of cyberattacks.Read our DDoS Attack Trends Radar report
How to Spot and Stop a DDoS Attack
The faster you detect and resolve a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack, the less damage it can do to your business. Read on to learn how to identify the signs of a DDoS attack, differentiate it from other issues, and implement effective protection strategies to safeguard your business. You’ll also discover why professional mitigation is so important for your business.The Chronology of a DDoS AttackThe business impact of a DDoS attack generally increases the longer it continues. While the first few minutes might not be noticeable without a dedicated solution with monitoring capabilities, your digital services could be taken offline within an hour. No matter who your customer is or how you serve them, every business stands to lose customers, credibility, and revenue through downtime.The First Few Minutes: Initial Traffic SurgeAttackers often start with a low-volume traffic flow to avoid early detection. This phase, known as pre-flooding, evaluates the target system’s response and defenses. You may notice a slight increase in traffic, but it could still be within the range of normal fluctuations.Professional DDoS mitigation services use algorithms to spot these surges, identify whether the traffic increase is malicious, and stop attacks before they can have an impact. Without professional protection, it’s almost impossible to spot this pre-flooding phase, leading you into the following phases of an attack.The First Hour: Escalating TrafficThe attack will quickly escalate, resulting in a sudden and extreme increase in traffic volume. During this stage, network performance will start to degrade noticeably, causing unusually slow loading times for websites and services.Look out for network disconnections, or unusually slow performance. These are telltale signs of a DDoS attack in its early stages.The First Few Hours: Service DisruptionAs the attack intensifies, the website may become completely inaccessible. You might experience an increased volume of spam emails as part of a coordinated effort to overwhelm your systems. Frequent loss of connectivity within the local network can occur as the attack overloads the infrastructure.You can identify this stage by looking for website or network unavailability. Users will experience continuous problems when trying to connect to the targeted application or server.Within 24 Hours: Sustained ImpactIf the attack continues, the prolonged high traffic volume will cause extended service outages and significant slowdowns. By this point, it is clear that a DDoS attack is in progress, especially if multiple indicators are present simultaneously.By now, not only is your website and/or network unavailable, but you’re also at high risk of data breaches due to the loss of control of your digital resources.Distinguishing DDoS Attacks from Other IssuesWhile DDoS attack symptoms like slow performance and service outages are common, they can also be caused by other problems. Here’s how to differentiate between a DDoS attack and other issues:AspectDDoS attackHosting problemsLegitimate traffic spikeSoftware issuesTraffic volumeSudden, extreme increaseNo significant increaseHigh but expected during peaksNormal, higher, lower, or zeroService responseExtremely slow or unavailableSlow or intermittentSlower but usually functionalErratic, with specific errorsError messagesFrequent Service UnavailableInternal Server Error, TimeoutNo specific errors, slower responsesSpecific to the softwareDurationProlonged, until mitigatedVaries, often until resolvedTemporary, during peaks, often predictableVaries based on the bugSource of trafficMultiple, distributed, malicious signaturesConsistent with normal traffic, localizedGeographically diverse, consistent patternsDepends on the user baseProtective Strategies Against DDoS AttacksPrevention is the best defense against DDoS attacks. Here are some strategies to protect your business:Content delivery networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute your traffic across multiple servers worldwide, reducing the load on any single server and mitigating the impact of DDoS attacks.DDoS protection solutions: These services provide specialized tools to detect, mitigate, and block DDoS attacks. They continuously monitor traffic patterns in real time to detect anomalies and automatically respond to and stop attacks without manual intervention.Web application and API protection (WAAP): WAAP solutions protect web applications and APIs from a wide range of threats, including DDoS attacks. They use machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block sophisticated attacks, from DDoS assaults to SQL injections.Gcore provides all three protection strategies in a single platform, offering your business the security it needs to thrive in a challenging threat landscape.Don’t Delay, Protect Your Business NowGcore provides comprehensive DDoS protection, keeping your services online and your business thriving even during an attack. Explore Gcore DDoS Protection or get instant protection now.Discover the latest DDoS trends and threats in our H3 2023 report
Improve Your Privacy and Data Security with TLS Encryption on CDN
The web is a public infrastructure: Anyone can use it. Encryption is a must to ensure that communications over this public infrastructure are secure and private. You don’t want anyone to read or modify the data you send or receive, like credit card information when paying for an online service.TLS encryption is a basic yet crucial safeguard that ensures only the client (the user’s device, like a laptop) and server can read your request and response data; third parties are locked out. You can run TLS on a CDN for improved performance, caching, and TLS management. If you want to learn more about TLS and how running it on a CDN can improve your infrastructure, this is the right place to start.What Is TLS Encryption and Why Does It Matter?TLS, transport layer security, encrypts data sent via the web to prevent it from being seen or changed while it’s in transit. For that reason, it’s called encryption in-transit technology. TLS is also commonly called HTTPS when used with HTTP or SSL, as previous versions of the technology were based on it. TLS ensures high encryption performance and forward secrecy. To learn more about encryption, check out our dedicated article.TLS is a vital part of the web because it ensures trust for end users and search engines alike. End users can rest assured that their data—like online banking information or photos of their children—can’t be accessed. Search engines know that information protected by TLS is trustworthy, so they rate it higher than non-protected content.What’s the Connection Between TLS and CDN?A CDN, or content delivery network, helps improve your website’s performance by handling the delivery of your content from its own servers rather than your website’s server. When a CDN uses TLS, it ensures that your content is encrypted as it travels from your server to the CDN and from the CDN to your users.With TLS offloading, your server only needs to encrypt the content for each CDN node, not for every individual user. This reduces the workload on your server.Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works:Your server encrypts the content once and sends it to the CDN.The CDN caches this encrypted content.When a user requests the content, the CDN serves it directly to them, handling all encryption and reducing the need to repeatedly contact your server.Without a CDN, your server would have to encrypt and send content to each user individually, which can slow things down. With a CDN, your server encrypts the content once for the CDN. The CDN then takes over, encrypting and serving the content to all users, speeding up the process and reducing the load on your server.Figure 1: Comparison of how content is served with TLS on the web server (left) vs on CDN (right)Benefits of “Offloading” TLS to a CDNOffloading TLS to a CDN can improve your infrastructure with improved performance, better caching, and simplified TLS management.Increased PerformanceWhen establishing a TLS connection, the client and server must exchange information to negotiate a session key. This exchange involves four messages being sent over the network, as shown in Figure 2. The higher the latency between the two participants, the longer it takes to establish the connection. CDN nodes are typically closer to the client, resulting in lower latency and faster connection establishment.As mentioned above, CDN nodes handle all the encryption tasks. This frees up your server’s resources for other tasks and allows you to simplify its code base.Figure 2: TLS handshakeImproved CachingIf your data is encrypted, the CDN can’t cache it. A single file will look different from the CDN nodes for every new TLS connection, eliminating the CDN benefits (Figure 3). If the CDN holds the certificates, it can negotiate encryption with the clients and collect the files from your server in plaintext. This allows the CDN to cache the content efficiently and serve it faster to users.Figure 3: TLS and CDN caching comparedSimplified TLS ManagementThe CDN takes care of maintenance tasks such as certificate issuing, rotation, and auto-renewal. With the CDN managing TLS, your server’s code base can be simplified, and you no longer need to worry about potential TLS updates in the future.TLS Encryption with Gcore CDNWith the Gcore CDN we don’t just take care of your TLS encryption, but also file compression and DNS lookups. This way, you can unburden your servers from non-functional requirements, which leads to smaller, easier-to-maintain code bases, lower CPU, memory, and traffic impact, and a lower workload for the teams managing those servers.Gcore CDN offers two TLS offloading options:Free Let’s Encrypt certificates with automatic validation, an effective and efficient choice for simple security needsPaid custom certificates, ideal if your TLS setup has more complex requirementsHow to Enable HTTPS with a Free Let’s Encrypt CertificateSetting up HTTPS for your website is quick, easy, and free. First, make sure you have a Gcore CDN resource for your website. If you haven’t created one yet, you can do so in the Gcore Customer Portal by clicking Create CDN resource in the top-right of the window (Figure 4) and following the setup wizard. You’ll be asked to update your DNS records so they point to the Gcore CDN, allowing Gcore to issue the certificates later.Figure 4: Create CDN resourceNext, open the resource settings by selecting your CDN resource from the list in the center (Figure 5).Figure 5: Select the CDN resourceEnable HTTPS in the resource settings, as shown in Figure 6:Select SSL in the left navigationClick the Enable HTTPS checkboxClick Get SSL certificateFigure 6: Get an SSL certificateYour certificate will usually be issued within 30 minutes.Our Commitment to Online SecurityAt Gcore, we’re committed to making the internet secure for everyone. As part of this mission, we offer free CDN and free TLS certificates. Take advantage and protect your resources efficiently for free!Get TLS encryption on Gcore CDN free
What Is TCP DDoS Protection? | How Does It Work?
TCP DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks pose a significant threat to network infrastructure. They exploit vulnerabilities in the TCP protocol to overwhelm servers and disrupt legitimate traffic. This article explains the mechanics of TCP DDoS attacks, their potential impact, and effective strategies for prevention and mitigation. We’ll explore different types of TCP DDoS attacks, such as SYN floods and ACK floods, and discuss how to safeguard your systems against these threats using techniques like SYN cookies, traffic filtering, and load balancing.What Is a TCP DDoS Attack?A TCP DDoS attack (Transmission Control Protocol distributed denial-of-service) is a type of cyberattack that targets the TCP protocol, a fundamental communication protocol used in networked systems. DDoS attacks aim to disrupt normal traffic on a network by overwhelming it with a flood of malicious traffic.In a TCP DDoS attack, the attacker uses multiple compromised devices, often referred to as a botnet, to send a huge number of packets (small units of data) to a target network or server. The goal is to overload the network components, making them unable to handle legitimate requests from real users.The principle of a DDoS attackTCP is widely used for internet communications, including web browsing and email, but it wasn’t originally designed with robust security features. This lack of built-in security makes it vulnerable to exploitation. Hackers can send different types of TCP packets to execute their attacks. To understand this, let’s examine how TCP normally functions and what happens during a DDoS attack in the three most common TCP attack methods.How Does a TCP DDoS Attack Work?When a device, like your computer, wants to connect to a server, such as a website, it follows a three-step process known as the TCP handshake.How TCP normally worksEach type of TCP DDoS attack (SYN flood, SYN-ACK flood, and ACK flood) targets a different stage of this handshake. By overwhelming the server at each stage, the attacker disrupts the handshake process, causing downtime and service disruption for legitimate users.Let’s look at how TCP works and how different types of attacks exploit each stage.Initiating the Connection: SYN FloodNormal process: Your device sends a SYN packet to the server to request a connection.SYN flood attack: The attacker sends a massive number of SYN packets to the server, pretending to request connections. The server tries to respond to each request by sending SYN-ACK packets. However, since the attacker never completes the handshake, the server is left waiting with numerous half-open connections, consuming its resources and making it unable to handle legitimate requests.In an SYN flood attack, the attacker can use their own resources to send the requests or use TCP/IP hijacking to spoof legitimate IP addresses, making the malicious requests appear genuine. The spoofed systems do not respond to the SYN-ACK packets because they are unaware of the SYN packets sent on their behalf. Even though the server eventually drops these half-open connections, the sheer volume can exceed the server’s capacity, rendering it unresponsive to real clients.How a SYN flood attack worksAcknowledging the Request: SYN-ACK FloodNormal process: The server receives the SYN packet and responds with a SYN-ACK packet to acknowledge the connection request.SYN-ACK flood attack: The attacker sends a large number of SYN-ACK packets to the server without any corresponding SYN requests. The server has to process these unexpected packets, which uses up its resources and disrupts its ability to function properly.A SYN-ACK flood leverages an unusual approach by sending SYN-ACK packets to the server. Even though they are not part of a legitimate handshake, these packets must be processed, and a significant number of such packets can cause server-side disruptions.Completing the Handshake: ACK PacketsNormal process: Your device responds to the server’s SYN-ACK packet with an ACK packet, completing the handshake and establishing the connection.ACK flood attack: The attacker sends a flood of ACK packets to the server. These packets look like legitimate responses, so the server spends its resources processing them. This overwhelms the server, making it difficult for it to handle actual connections from real users.An ACK flood exploits the TCP function for data delivery acknowledgment. When a client receives the requested data, it sends an ACK message to inform the server that the data was successfully received. Attackers take advantage of this by sending a large number of forged ACK packets, which look identical to legitimate ones. This overwhelms the server, as it cannot distinguish between real and fake ACK messages, leading to resource exhaustion and service disruption.What Damage Can a TCP DDoS Attack Cause?A successful TCP DDoS attack overwhelms the target server with fake requests, rendering the server unavailable to real users and the services relying on it. The duration of the downtime and the criticality of the affected services can result in significant financial losses and reputational damage for the business. Unprotected businesses lose an average of $6,000 per minute during a DDoS attack. The unavailability of an online banking service or a medical institution can cause real distress and disruption with serious consequences for customers.DDoS attacks can also act as a diversion for the target company’s IT and security teams, acting as a smokescreen for other malicious activities. While the incident response team is focused on restoring the attacked server’s performance, hackers might exploit the distraction to carry out phishing attempts or other attacks on sensitive information stored on the server.How to Prevent TCP DDoS AttacksWhen an attack succeeds, it’s already too late to prevent it. Therefore, the best tactics against all kinds of DDoS attacks are defensive measures.One option is to use a comprehensive third-party DDoS mitigation service, like Gcore DDoS Protection, and leave it to the specialists. We recommend this approach, as using a robust, proven protection service is usually the most convenient and effective strategy.Alternatively, you can attempt to apply prevention mechanisms yourself. For TCP DDoS attacks, these include the following:SYN cookies: Protect against SYN flood attacks by adding a special value to SYN-ACK packets. The server will only restore the connection if this value is returned in the client’s ACK message, preventing half-open connections from consuming resources.Filtering and blocking: Identify and block traffic from irrelevant sources or patterns that seem suspicious.Blocking unused ports: Reduce the potential attack surface by closing ports that aren’t in use.Rate limiting: To prevent overload, set thresholds for the amount of traffic the server can handle, including the number of SYN requests.Load balancing and redundancy: Distribute traffic using load balancers and have backup servers ready to handle increased traffic volumes.Caching and CDNs: Use caching and content delivery networks to minimize the resources needed to handle repetitive requests.However, following best security practices doesn’t eliminate the risk of an attack entirely, so it’s also important to monitor traffic for spikes and analyze such spikes for anomalies in order to react promptly in case of an attack. If you’re undertaking DDoS mitigation yourself, this will involve some manual processes. Third-party providers will analyze traffic on your behalf, and some—like Gcore—offer real-time visibility into traffic so you can watch DDoS attacks being stopped as they happen.Thwart Attackers with Gcore DDoS ProtectionOur global network of scrubbing centers is engineered to keep your business operational during a DDoS attack. Your customers will experience uninterrupted functionality even during a DDoS attack, no matter the type. Gcore scrubbing centers are equipped with backup copies of critical systems and network equipment, underscoring our dedication to providing continuous service and robust security.Gcore DDoS Protection offers businesses the following benefits:Robust infrastructure: With over 148 Tbps of network capacity and a global network that’s constantly learning from millions of internet properties, Gcore protects you against the largest and most sophisticated attacks.Proprietary DDoS protection solution: Tailored specifically to ward off a broad spectrum of DDoS threats.Detection of low-frequency attacks from the first query: Even the most subtle attacks are detected.Exceptionally low false-positive rate (less than 0.01%): Maintains normal operations by accurately distinguishing between legitimate traffic and attack vectors.Real-time statistics in the control panel: Offers immediate insights into traffic patterns and potential threats, allowing for swift action.Server protection in your data center: Extends Gcore’s protective measures directly to your infrastructure through a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunneling protocol, regardless of location.24/7, highly qualified technical support: Ensures that expert help is always on hand, day or night, to address any concerns or attacks.Exceptional uptime rate with 99.99% SLA: A seamless and uninterrupted user experience backed up by Tier III and IV data centers.ConclusionDDoS attacks, including various kinds of TCP attacks, are still a real threat to online services and can cause real damage to businesses. Preparing for the attacks in advance, however, can help to mitigate their consequences or avoid losses completely.Experience the peace of mind that comes with advanced protection with Gcore DDoS Protection for comprehensive security against DDoS attacks. With over 1 Tbps of total filtering capacity and a 99.99% SLA, your digital assets remain protected from even the most complex, sophisticated, and sustained attacks. Gcore helps to maintain the continuity of your online services, regardless of potential attackers’ motivations.Explore Gcore DDoS Protection
Ways to Harm: Understanding DDoS Attacks from the Attacker’s View
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks pose a significant challenge to digital security, aiming to overload systems with traffic and disrupt service. But why do they occur? In this article, we’ll explore the underlying psychology and motivations behind DDoS attacks. We’ll also look at what attacker profiles mean for your defense mechanisms.Who Carries Out DDoS Attacks?Who launches DDoS attacks?DDoS attackers are diverse and are not an organized group but share common traits, skills, and mindsets. They often have a deep understanding of network systems and a desire to challenge these structures. Their knowledge and expertise enable them to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, launching attacks that disrupt services for users and businesses. This knowledge, complemented by patience and persistence, is essential for carrying out prolonged attacks.Many DDoS attackers find excitement in causing disruption, taking advantage of the anonymity the internet provides. This anonymity allows them to operate without immediate repercussions, emboldening them to target large and important systems. The thrill they experience may be amplified by the challenge and the sense of power it gives them over their targets.Successfully executing an attack can also significantly boost an attacker’s status within their circles. Recognition from their peers encourages them to launch more ambitious attacks. Their actions, while destructive, are not random. Instead, they reflect a calculated attempt to assert dominance, explore their capabilities, and become valued by the DDoSer community.What Motivates Attackers?DDoS attack motivation can be political, competitive, financial, terrorist, revenge-driven or to seek attentionUnderstanding the motivations behind DDoS attacks offers insights into the attacker’s mindset and aids in developing robust defenses. To better grasp these motivations, we’ll examine each one through the lens of a practical example.Financial ExtortionFinancial gain is a significant driver of DDoS attacks, with cybercriminals seeking to exploit online platforms for personal profit. One common tactic involves extortion, where attackers cripple a service with a DDoS attack and then demand a ransom—often in cryptocurrency—to stop the disruption. This strategy appeals to attackers because digital currencies provide a certain level of anonymity, reducing the risk of getting caught.In February 2024, Change Healthcare, a major US healthcare processing company, was attacked by DDoS and ransomware attacks that caused significant financial strain in the sector. Many associated clinics and laboratories warned of cash shortages and the potential need for bank loans to meet their financial obligations. It’s alleged that the company paid a ransom to regain control, although this has not been confirmed.Political or Social MotivationsDDoS attacks can also be motivated by political or social causes. In these scenarios, attackers use DDoS attacks as a form of digital protest to bring attention to an issue they care about. They may be driven by a sense of idealism or a desire to fight for what they believe is right. DDoS attacks and their disruptive nature serve as a tool to bring attention to important issues that would otherwise be ignored.In 2022, the small nation of Andorra experienced an internet blackout. This outage was caused by a hacktivist-launched DDoS attack and targeted the country’s only internet service provider (ISP). Intriguingly, the attack coincided with a Minecraft tournament themed around the popular series “Squid Game” on Twitch, which had several participants from Andorra. The hacktivists didn’t want Andorrans to play—and they succeeded in their malicious goal. The attack’s outcome was that many players located in Andorra had to withdraw from the tournament due to internet disruptions.RevengeRevenge is another common motivator for DDoS attacks, targeting individuals, businesses, and even government organizations. In these scenarios, attackers use DDoS attacks to inflict harm on a perceived enemy in retaliation for a real or imagined wrong. The desire for revenge can be a powerful motivator, and attackers may view DDoS attacks as a way to strike back anonymously and cause significant disruption.The impersonal nature of DDoS attacks can be particularly appealing to those seeking revenge. Unlike physical vandalism, they allow attackers to cause disruption without directly confronting their target face-to-face. This can be seen in cases where disgruntled employees have launched DDoS attacks against their former employers.In an interesting turn of events, the LockBit ransomware group, notorious for its cyber exploits, found itself on the receiving end of a DDoS attack in August 2021. Previously, LockBit had attacked Entrust, a US data security firm, stealing valuable data and demanding a ransom to prevent its public release. In retaliation, Entrust launched a large-scale DDoS attack targeted at LockBit’s Tor leak sites, the platforms where stolen data is typically exposed. This effectively disabled the sites, preventing the stolen data’s potential exposure.HypercompetitionThe business world is ferocious. While many companies compete solely within the realm of legitimate marketing tactics, some individuals and organizations resort to DDoS attacks to gain an unfair edge over their rivals. Their motivation stems from an inherent desire to outperform competitors in the marketplace. By disrupting a competitor’s online presence and hindering their operations, attackers hope to steal potential customers and ultimately secure a larger market share for themselves. As such, DDoS attacks launched for competitive reasons are often timed strategically, targeting periods of peak user activity like sales periods or daily peak gaming sessions to inflict maximum damage and cause significant inconvenience.The e-commerce industry, with its vast online communities and fierce rivalries, is a key arena for competition-driven DDoS attacks. Competitors may orchestrate DDoS attacks against an online retailer’s servers to disrupt their operations and cause downtime. This disruption frustrates existing customers and deters potential new shoppers from joining the targeted server. By tarnishing the reputation of the competitor and hindering their ability to deliver a smooth buying experience, attackers hope to poach customers and attract them to their own servers.Attention Seeking Gone WildThe desire for attention can also be a driving force behind DDoS attacks. This motivation is often linked to youthful boundary-stretching or a desire to prove oneself. The latter occurred in the case of the Dark Frost Botnet; the attacker was seen bragging about his escapades online. These attacks are sometimes fueled by a sense of mischief or a desire to disrupt for entertainment purposes. Many attackers are talented, bored, and have time and untapped potential on their hands. As such, aspiring hackers might target an organization’s servers as a way to demonstrate their technical skills or gain notoriety within the hacking community.Here, the distinction between wild or playful and ethical hacking comes into play. Black hat attackers exploit DDoS attacks simply for attention or entertainment. But others—white hat hackers—use their skills ethically and legally to strengthen system security by identifying vulnerabilities with permission. Meanwhile, gray hat hackers, who occupy a middle ground, may also seek to improve security by uncovering flaws without explicit permission and subsequently informing the system owners, aiming for a more positive outcome despite their methods being technically illegal. Neither group has malicious intent but focuses instead on enhancing cyber safety in their unique ways.CyberterrorismNation states or highly organized groups may orchestrate large-scale DDoS attacks against critical infrastructure, aiming to cripple an enemy nation’s digital backbone and cause widespread disruption, such as in the case of the DDoS attacks against Luxembourg municipal websites in 2024. These efforts are often meticulously planned and highly sophisticated, often using a combination of tactics that make the DDoS attacks difficult to detect and even harder to defend against.DDoS attacks that are motivated by cyberterrorism can be rooted in retaliation for a perceived slight or act of aggression. They can be used as a smokescreen to distract security personnel while attackers infiltrate a target network and steal sensitive data. They can also be launched to create a sense of chaos and instability within a targeted nation by taking down essential services like power grids, financial institutions, or communication networks.These attacks can have real-world ramifications far beyond those of a DDoS attack against a company or game. Hospitals can lose access to patient records during a DDoS attack, and financial markets can grind to a halt. Recently, DDoS attacks have supplemented ground invasions in war zones. In the most extreme scenarios, cyberterror attacks can contribute to, or could even spark, real-world conflicts.How DDoS Attackers OperateWhile exact routines may differ based on the perpetrator’s available resources and goals, all attacks follow a similar three-stage pattern.Preparation phase 1.1. Building a botnet: At the core of many DDoS attacks lies a botnet, a network of compromised devices secretly controlled by the attacker. These devices, often personal computers or IoT devices infected with malware, can be recruited through phishing campaigns or by exploiting software vulnerabilities. 1.2. Target identification: Attackers determine the target, which could be a specific server, website, or network. They assess the target’s vulnerability and the potential impact of the attack. 1.3. Resource mobilization: Attackers amass resources, such as a network of compromised devices (botnet), to launch the attack. This involves infecting multiple devices with malware to control them remotely. 1.4. Attack planning: This involves choosing the type of DDoS attack, timing, and duration. Attackers plan their approach based on the target’s weaknesses and desired impact.Execution phase 2.1. Initial exploitation: The attacker or botnet initiates the attack by sending excessive requests to the target’s IP address, overwhelming the server or network. 2.2. Amplification and reflection: Some attacks exploit the amplification factor of certain protocols, sending small requests to third-party servers that then send large amounts of data to the target.Monitoring and adaptation 3.1. Attack monitoring: The attacker closely monitors the attack’s effectiveness, adjusting tactics if necessary to bypass any implemented defenses. 3.2. Maintaining anonymity: Attackers often leverage anonymization techniques like Tor to mask their location and identity. 3.3. Sustaining the attack: The attack is maintained to cause prolonged disruption. This might involve adapting to the target’s defensive measures and varying the attack vectors.What Can Businesses Learn from These Attacks?Understanding the motivations and methods behind DDoS attacks empowers and motivates businesses to take proactive measures and safeguard their online presence. However, the root causes of DDoS attacks—like market competition and geopolitical unrest—are beyond a company’s influence.The high cost of DDoS attacks extends far beyond the immediate financial losses. Unprotected companies can incur significant expenses due to:Lost income during downtimeDetection and recovery effortsLegal feesReputational damageCustomer churnUnprotected businesses hemorrhage an average of $6,000 per minute during a DDoS attack. When you factor in the broader impact, a single 20-minute attack can easily escalate into losses exceeding $120,000. Reputational damage and customer loss can have long-lasting consequences that are difficult to quantify.The only way to mitigate the disastrous consequences of DDoS attacks is proactively to adopt a comprehensive protection strategy, such as Gcore DDoS Protection.Thwart Attackers with Gcore DDoS ProtectionGcore’s global network of scrubbing centers is designed to ensure that your business continues to operate smoothly during a DDoS attack, without delays or performance degradation. Your customers won’t notice any difference in functionality even during an active attack. These centers are well-equipped with backup copies of essential systems and network equipment, demonstrating the company’s commitment to providing uninterrupted service and security.Gcore DDoS Protection offers businesses the following benefits:Robust infrastructure: Vast distributed network of scrubbing centers with over 1 Tbps filtering capacity.Proprietary DDoS protection solution: Tailored specifically to ward off a broad spectrum of DDoS threats.Detection of low-frequency attacks from the first query: Even the most subtle attacks are detected.Exceptionally low false-positive rate (less than 0.01%): Maintains normal operations by accurately distinguishing between legitimate traffic and attack vectors.Real-time statistics in the control panel: Offers immediate insights into traffic patterns and potential threats, allowing for swift action.Server protection in your data center: Extends Gcore’s protective measures directly to your infrastructure through a Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunneling protocol, regardless of location.24/7, highly qualified technical support: Ensures that expert help is always on hand, day or night, to address any concerns or attacks.Exceptional uptime rate with 99.99% SLA: A seamless and uninterrupted user experience backed up by Tier III and IV data centers.ConclusionWhile understanding attackers’ mindsets can uncover some of the mysteriousness behind cybercrime, it also shows that DDoS attackers can only be stopped through an effective DDoS mitigation strategy. Partnering with a specialized DDoS protection service ensures that your network is fortified with the latest security measures, providing a strong defense that keeps your operations secure and uninterrupted.Experience the peace of mind that comes with advanced protection with Gcore DDoS Protection for comprehensive security against DDoS attacks. With over 1 Tbps of total filtering capacity and a 99.99% SLA, your digital assets remain protected from even the most complex, sophisticated, and sustained attacks. Gcore helps to maintain the continuity of your online services, regardless of potential attackers’ motivations.Discover Gcore DDoS Protection
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