Is Seizure Effective in Preventing DDoS for Hire?

In December of 2022, the United States Department of Justice and other assisting agencies, both foreign and domestic, worked together to seize 48 of the most popular DDoS-for-hire or "stresser" websites across the internet. Their collective effort was aimed at making it harder for individuals to access and use these online tools. However, in this blog post, we will be discussing AstroVPN's experience with denial-of-service attacks over the past year and exploring the question of whether these seizures were truly effective in combatting the issue. We will delve into the technical details of DDoS attacks, the challenges faced by organizations in protecting against them, and the effectiveness of current mitigation strategies. Join us as we take a closer look at the ongoing battle against DDoS attacks and the impact they have on businesses and individuals alike.

What are "Stressers"?

"Stressers" or DDoS-for-hire services are online tools that allow individuals to launch a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on a target website or server. These attacks involve overwhelming a website or server with a large amount of traffic, making it difficult or impossible for legitimate users to access the site. DDoS-for-hire services make it easy for individuals to launch these types of attacks, even if they lack the technical expertise or resources to do so on their own, by providing customers with access to a network of infected devices, known as bots, which can be used to generate a large amount of traffic needed to launch a DDoS attack. The individual simply has to provide the target website or server's IP address and select the type and duration of the attack they want to launch. Some stresser services even offer different packages, with different levels of intensity, enabling the users to choose the level of intensity they want to achieve. It's important to note that DDoS-for-hire services are illegal and launching a DDoS attack can result in serious consequences, including fines and imprisonment.

Are "Stressers" and "Booters" Different?

While stressers and booters are often used interchangeably, there is a key difference between the two. Stressers, also known as DDoS-for-hire services, are online tools that allow individuals to launch DDoS attacks on a target website or server. While their use can be considered illegal and malicious in nature, some providers argue that their services can have legitimate uses such as by authorized individuals to test network infrastructure and DDoS prevention methods. This is because stressers can be used to simulate a DDoS attack, which can help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their systems and improve their defenses. However, it's important to note that the use of stressers to launch a real DDoS attack or to take down a website without proper authorization is considered illegal.

On the other hand, Booters are specifically designed for illegal activities and are typically used by individuals with malicious intent to take down a website or server for personal gain or revenge. They are illegal and their use is considered a criminal offense. Booters are not designed for legitimate stress testing and the use of these services can be considered a cybercrime.

It's important to note that while the intent behind the use of stressers and booters may differ, the technical process of launching a DDoS attack is the same. Therefore, individuals and organizations need to understand the legal implications and risks associated with both types of services before using them. It's important to note that the use of booters is considered illegal, while the use of stressers for any malicious intent is also illegal and it's advisable to consult a legal expert before using any DDoS-for-hire services. Even if the use of stressers may have legitimate use cases, it's important to make sure that the use is within legal boundaries and with proper authorization.

Attack Trends Since 2022

In the final quarter of 2022, AstroVPN experienced a relatively low number of denial-of-service attacks across all of our infrastructure. This trend can be attributed to the fact that a significant portion of our web infrastructure was moved to Cloudflare Pages, which helped to mitigate the risk of Layer-7-based attacks. However, it's important to note that this does not mean that the recent efforts by the US Department of Justice and other agencies to seize DDoS-for-hire websites were not effective.

However, in the first month of 2023, we saw a sudden and significant increase in the number of DDoS attacks against our infrastructure, with some attacks lasting longer than 30 minutes. This spike in attacks was not limited to a specific layer and affected multiple layers of our infrastructure. While it is not possible to attribute this trend solely to the recent seizures of DDoS-for-hire websites, it is my belief that these actions may have led to the creation of new and more sophisticated DDoS-for-hire services in response. This highlights the need for continuous efforts to combat DDoS attacks and the importance of organizations being prepared and having proper DDoS protection in place.

At AstroVPN, our go-to solution for DDoS protection is Path Networks- with 40% of our network being protected by their 12Tbps anycast protection.

In conclusion, the recent seizures of DDoS-for-hire websites by the US Department of Justice and other agencies have had a positive impact on the fight against DDoS attacks. However, it is important to note that the threat of DDoS attacks is constantly evolving and new DDoS-for-hire services may emerge in response to these actions.

It's also important to note that the use of DDoS-for-hire services, regardless of the intent behind it, is illegal and punishable by law. Organizations and individuals should consult a legal expert before using any DDoS-for-hire services, even for legitimate stress testing. In the end, it's important for organizations and individuals to be aware of the legal implications and risks associated with DDoS attacks and to take steps to protect against them.

Ad Astra! ✨