DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) blackmail is just one form of cybercrime that historically has not been reported because victims of cyberblackmail “often do not publicly acknowledge the attack for reputational reasons” including banks, cloud services, or the like. A recent Verisign report entitled “Distributed Denial of Service Trends” included these 3 motivations for DDoS including blackmail:
- Activism and Protest
- Cyber Crime (including blackmail, attacking competitors, and smokescreen for other intrusions)
- Retaliation and Mischief
Here are the Report’s conclusions about DDoS:
Today’s DDoS attackers choose their targets and tactics for a number of reasons, many of which may not be clearly evident to the victims or the security professionals and law enforcement organizations who assist them.
Understanding the various potential motives behind DDoS attacks can help defenders anticipate and ideally prevent these attacks before they cause irreparable damage to business operations, online revenue generation and reputation. Regardless of their motivations, however, DDoS attackers are proving more adept and effective than ever at disrupting their targets, and network-dependent organizations of all industries, types and sizes should consider their risk and prepare accordingly.
Protecting businesses from DDoS continues to be important.