What are DoS attacks?
A DoS attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a network or website by overwhelming it with excessive traffic or requests. The attacks exploit system vulnerabilities and weaknesses in cybersecurity protocols.
The Handbook of Computer Networks: Distributed Networks, Network Planning Control, Management, and New Trends and Applications chapter on the topic provides, “Known DoS attacks in the Internet generally conquer the target by exhausting its resources, that can be anything related to network computing and service performance, such as link bandwidth, TCP connection buffers, application/service buffer, CPU cycles, etc.”
As organizations often rely on the consistent availability of digital services, interruptions can have a large impact on operations that leave organizations desperate to regain access to their facilities.
What are DDoS attacks?
A DDoS attack is a more sophisticated version of the DoS attack where multiple compromised devices often called bots are used to overwhelm a target's resources. Through a coordinated effort, the volume of requests bombard the server's bandwidth, CPU, or memory, rendering websites, applications, or entire networks inaccessible to legitimate users.
According to a survey in Advanced Information Assurance, “Broadly speaking the attacks can be of three forms: a) Attacks exploiting some vulnerability or implementation bug in the software implementation of a service to bring that down. b) Attacks that use up all the available resources at the target machine. c) Attacks that consume all the bandwidth available to the victim machine.” The attack takes a decentralized nature of DDoS making it difficult for healthcare organizations to detect and defend against.
The main differences
- Number of sources: DoS attacks originate from a single system or network while DDoS involves multiple systems often geographically dispersed and working together to overwhelm the target.
- Attack complexity: DoS is simpler to execute and is easier to detect since the attack comes from an identifiable source. DDoS is more complex and harder to mitigate because the traffic comes from numerous systems.
- Impact scale: Limited in its ability to generate traffic, DoS affects smaller systems. DDoS can generate massive traffic due to its distributed nature making it capable of crippling larger scale systems.
- Infrastructure required: DDoS attacks need to be executed by a botnet. DoS on the other hand relies on one machine or small network controlled by the attacker.
How these attacks are leveraged against email accounts
Attackers use vulnerabilities in email protocols like SMTP or target the authentication processes to lock out legitimate users. Healthcare organizations are prime targets for these attacks because of the nature of the data they handle. With vast amounts of protected health information (PHI) available within email accounts and the regulatory consequences healthcare organizations face when failing to protect this information, it becomes that much likelier that they will comply with instructions and pay ransoms. The use of HIPAA compliant email platforms like Paubox is designed to defend against a host of cyberattacks including DoS attacks. The use of the platform takes the thought out of cybersecurity with Paubox easily integrating into existing email systems and a record of having experienced no data breaches to date.
FAQs
What are data breaches?
A data breach is when sensitive information is accessed, stolen, or shared without permission.
What are the cybersecurity measures required by the Security Rule?
The measures for the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI) include:
- Access controls
- Encryption
- Audits
- Training
- Risk assessments
Why do data breaches commonly target healthcare organizations?
Healthcare organizations are attractive targets because they store valuable data like PHI. Hackers use this data for identity theft, insurance fraud, and insurance information.
Kirsten Peremore
