Denial of Service attacks are one of the modern cyber criminal’s favourite tools, and for good reason. They’re effective against some of the strongest targets, yet comparatively cheap and easy to run.
The only reliable way to weather a DoS attack is to be prepared, to remain vigilant and to act swiftly when an attack begins. Our newly released guidance is intended to provide you with the means to do that.
Be ready
Coming out of a DoS attack well is, in large measure, a question of preparation. So our guidance is aimed primarily at helping you to ready your defences.
First, we guide you though the various methods, means and motivations behind today’s increasingly common Denial of Service attacks. This should help you determine whether you may be a target and what level of response you feel you need to have.
The second part of the guidance breaks down the means by which you can ready yourself for a potential attack:
- Understanding your own systems and how far you are willing to go to keep them all up and running
- The help your ISP or other third parties may be able to provide, options for your own defences, and the development of a response plan
- Finally, monitoring and testing.
There’s always one
If you haven’t had time to prepare for an attack: Don’t Panic. We have also detailed some basic steps you can take in the face of an attack you were unprepared for. Please don’t rely on this option though, even minimal preparation will greatly enhance your response to an attack.
As always, if you have any feedback, we would be glad to hear from you.
Harry W
Tech Director for Incident Management
Source: National Cyber Security Centre
