In recent news, the NZX and MET Service have been hit by a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack on their networks. Such attacks are one of the most dreaded forms of network attacks – for enterprises and SMBs. They often paralyse network activity completely.
The after effects can be long-standing. A brand’s image is widely impacted, especially if the company caters to mass consumers. There’s reputational damage to the organisation, beyond direct losses from a halt in trading / operations.
The major reason these network crippling attacks can occur, stems from an all-too-common mindset. Many administrators (often in SMBs) simply assume attackers will never target them. They believe that there isn’t enough benefit from attacking a small business’s network. But the real motivation in most cases, is a hacker’s simple pleasure from successfully bringing a network down. It gives an attacker a psychological high.
Enterprises now have various ways to adequately equip themselves, and stop DoS attacks. Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems are put in place to keep their network secure. Augmenting this set-up are a lot of dedicated network security products. These exclusively shield the network. But as products and security infrastructure gets smart, hackers also get smarter. Most products come with a mechanism for intrusion detection, but well-engineered attacks will surpass detection.
The only solution to evade DoS (Denial-of-Service) attacks is to carefully record and study the size, type and frequency of attacks. However, this is not possible until a Network Behavioural Analysis tool is employed. A study on DDoS attacks by TechTarget, revealed that Network Behavioural Analysis is the key to detecting these attacks in advance and keeping a network secure.
ManageEngine’s EventLog Analyzer and NetFlow Analyzer audits log data from your network’s security devices — firewalls and IDS/IPS. It instantly detects DoS/DDoS attacks and alerts you in real time. Track web server activity to detect when a specific IP keeps sending repeated connection requests. Or use predefined reports, specifically designed to detect DoS attacks.
Learn more about EventLog Analyzer by clicking here.
ManageEngine New Zealand can also help analyse your network activity, detect internal / external threats and audit your Active Directory environment. By using Log360, this helps you stay compliant as a SIEM security solutions. Learn more about common cyber-attack types here.
