DDoS Extortion Attempts On the Rise

John Flabasha writes "There's an excellent article that originated on the LA Times and was syndicated to Yahoo News about DDoS attacks on online gaming and one of the solutions out there. Since when did ISP null routes go out of style?" We've run a number of previous stories about DoS blackmail attempts, like this one or this one.

Pay up

[Anonymous Coward]

Pay up or I'll suggest a /. article about you, and you know the editors will accept it too!

Send money, or else.

[Kenja]

If you dont send 1,500$ to the following PayPal acount I will post an article about your company on Slashdot.

How long...

[Tyndmyr]

Ever been tempted to track the random people who attempt to hack/spam you, and beat them senseless? If only we could network this...I'll beat the people that live near me, and we can all post our catches on a forum somewhere...

If only it were that simple.

Not all attacks can be blocked.

[Carnildo]

You can't null-route a slashdotting.

DOS Blackmail

[Anonymous Coward]

Noone's going to blackmail me into using DOS again...

was that MS-DOS TRS-DOS, or Apple DOS?

The Other-Other Operation

[centauri]

"That's a nice StarCraft server you have set up there. Be a shame if anything happened to it."

Honestly, that's what I thought when I read "extortion" and "online gaming."

Re:How long...

[YankeeInExile]

While fantasizing about vigilanteism is entertaining, it really is not a good idea, just because of the lack of control.... to-wit:

Hey, HeadCrackers Ltd. I was recently DDoSed by a group of hackers, led by someone who uses the slashdot handle Tyndmyr. I don't know anything else about him, but I would really appreciate it if someone would lop off a few fingers. Not only did he totally scrag my website "e-My-pretty-pony", costing me millions of dollars in lost sales revenue overnight, but he sent henchmen to my house who dyed my cat blue! I really hate him! MURDER! DEATH! KILL!

I think this should illustrate the potential for abuse.

HAND

DDoS Extortion?

[Pan T. Hose]

You mean so many extortion attempts at the same time that the law enforcement is unable to track them all and the victims are unable to pay so fast?

Re:How long...

[multiplexo]

Ever been tempted to track the random people who attempt to hack/spam you, and beat them senseless?

Yes, and I've thought of doing more than that. I wonder how the cracking community would respond if one of their members, such as the Russian guy mentioned in this article, were slowly tortured on a video that was then distributed over the net. I think if you were to take one of these guys and cut his fingers off with a pair of bolt cutters, and then burn his eyes out with a torch, and then deafen him by playing 100 decibel music into his ears as well as cutting his balls off and scarring his body by writing "We 0wnz0r you" on his body with a paintbrush dipped in acid that perhaps these crackers might think about finding honest work.

Re:How long...

[eln]

Oh that's it, Tyndmyr is totally dead. I'm so sick of that bastard pulling this crap. Your wish is my command. Tomorrow Tyndmyr's cat will be purple with pink polka dots.

Re:How long...

[red floyd]

So that would be a DBSOT Attack? (Distributed Beat the Shit Out of Them)

Re:How long...

[Ced_Ex]

Nothing funnier than computer nerds threatening other computer nerds!

But good idea though. I can video tape it and we solve two problems. 1. We get rid of hacks/spam. 2. We profit on the videos!

Sidenote: Wasn't there a video clip with some guy getting his buddy to hit him in the face with a keyboard?

Re:DOS Blackmail

[Shakrai]

I would pay to not use DOS.

I guess a lot of people do [microsoft.com].

Re:How long...

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear Mr. Multiplexo,

We would like to invite you to join our interrogation efforts in Iraq. Please contact me as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense

Re:Not knowledgable on topic but...

[Drantin]

if only they would follow the rfc specifying the evil bit...

Bah!

[daishin]

Theres always DDOS extortion attempts on IRC, like this case...

<h4ckrr> gimme opz or i fl00d u!
<Daishi> no
*h4ckrr has quit (Ping timeout)

My Regime...

[Greyfox]

My regime would require an "internet license" which would be a card with a magstripe. The magstripe would contain your crypto key (passphrase required to unlock yadda yadda.) All computers would be outfitted with magstripe readers and to access the net you'd have to insert your license. All traffic from you would be signed with said license. Border routers would validate licenses and reject unsigned traffic.

First license would be free if you can pass the multiple-choice test. If it's revoked, you have to take a class and pay $50 to have it reinstated. Reasons for revocation would include, among other things, having your system compromised and used to attack other systems. That'd take care of all those zombie systems in one easy step. Having your Internet license revoked more than three times would be grounds for revoking your breeding license (Which will have somewhat more stringent entry requirements to begin with.)

Other countries which my regime has not yet assimilated will not be left out. They can either adopt my policies or have their traffic signed by a generic key when it enters my country. Of course, if the generic key gets revoked, everyone using it will be out of luck...

Re:My Regime...

[the_weasel]

My regime plans to overthrow your regime using rhetoric and innuendo, and replace it with a mildly anarchistic commune run by warlords and charismatic pop idols. Then we will declare your supporters as non-humans, and hunt you through the streets.

I intend to make this country profitable by selling the right to watch the country on television to countries like Russia and China. This effectively combines their dislike of Americans with their youths addiction to our media.

Just kidding. :->

Re:I'm not a very good network admin

[scribblej]

Awesome. The next time my boss asks me what we can do to prevent DDoS attacks, I know what I'll tell him now.

"Start a grassroots campaign!"

That'll get me promoted, no doubt.