A SYN flood is a type of cyberattack where the attacker sends a large number of SYN (synchronize) requests to a server but doesn’t complete the connection process. When leveraged against healthcare organizations SYN is a method of disrupting systems and delaying access to necessary systems.
What is a SYN flood?
SYN attacks tend to overload the server, leaving it stuck trying to handle fake requests. As most servers have limited resources they become unavailable for legitimate users. In a way similar to a restaurant filling all its tables with customers who never order food leaving no space available for actual diners.
An I.J Computer Network and Information Security study provides, “Amongst many other types of cyber-attacks, the DoS attacks are major security threats to the services provided through the Internet resulting in large scale revenue losses…The analysis... shows that the DDoS attacks which use TCP and SYN flood are the most prevalent among them.”
The attack is part of a larger category called Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Hospitals rely on online systems for patient records and communications, which leaves SYN floods a method of overwhelming the most critical systems to patients in need.
Related: Types of firewalls
How it works
- The attacker sends a huge number of SYN requests to the server.
- Each request asks to start a new connection.
- The server responds with a SYN-ACK (synchronize-acknowledge) message to confirm the connection.
- The attacker doesn’t send back the final ACK (acknowledge) to complete the process.
- The server keeps waiting for the final response, tying up its resources.
- Eventually, the server becomes overwhelmed and can’t handle real user requests.
How SYN floods work against email accounts
SYN floods can disrupt email services by targeting the servers that manage email traffic. These attacks use the TCP handshake process to overwhelm the server with half open connections. Email servers rely on TCP for transmitting and receiving emails securely. If a SYN flood attack incapacitates the server it cannot handle legitimate email communications.
HIPAA compliant email platforms like Paubox offer a defense against these threats. These platforms incorporate advanced security measures including firewall rules to detect and block abnormal traffic patterns indicative of SYN floss. They use encrypted communications and intrusion detection systems to protect against any possible unauthorized access.
FAQs
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA is a law that protects the privacy and security of people's health information.
What is encryption?
A way to protect information is by turning it into a secret code. It’s used to keep information like passwords, emails, or databases safe from hackers or unauthorized access.
What is a cyber breach?
A cyber breach is when someone breaks into a computer system or network without permission.
Kirsten Peremore
