Planning a PSA on DDoS Prevention. Share your knowledge here!

[Col_StaR]

Hello folks,

I had someone contact me a while ago, requesting that a PSA be made about Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and how people can protect themselves against such attacks. I think that was a great topic, one that would save people a lot of headaches. (And before anyone asks, no, we will not be teaching people how to DDoS)

I've begun my planning and organization, but I'd like to know what the players have to offer on these topics. Many people deal with the threat of DDoSing every day, and I'd like to know what insight they have to offer their peers.

• Do you know about DDoSing and how it works? How would you explain the act and its effects?
• Do you know how to prevent or stop DDoS attacks? What instructions would you give others to protect them from such attacks?
• Is there a topic related to DDoSing that you'd like to see addressed in the PSA? If so, what is it, and what would you like to see brought to the community's awareness?

If you have something you'd like to share, we'd love to use what knowledge you'd like to offer!
Users who offer the best information here may even be credited in the PSA itself.

 

[KiDD]

(And before anyone asks, no, we will not be teaching people how to DDoS)

Good, I had a feeling someone was going to ask...

 

[Harris|DareDevilMan1]

Good, I had a feeling someone was going to ask...

Don't worry, every clan nowadays knows how to anyways.

 

[KiDD]

Don't worry, every clan nowadays knows how to anyways.

Well *heh*, that's the thing.

 

[GetRidaHim]

If you are suspicious about any shortened links somebody sends to you, remember to put them in http://longurl.com/ to see if they lead to any IP Loggers, or phishing sites.

• On TeamSpeak, always hover over the link and verify it before you go to the website they're sending you to, as someone can hyperlink it to make it look like another.

• Remember, DDoSing is illegal, DDoS Threats and/or DDoS attacks will not be tolerated on our network, you will be punished for doing so. If someone threatens to DDoS you, collect evidence and send it to a Moderator via. TeamSpeak, or the report abuse section which can be found here: http://report.mcgamer.info

(And before anyone asks, no, we will not be teaching people how to DDoS)

I really hope nobody was planning on asking, DDoS'ing is illegal, and it's scary for the person being affected, don't do it no matter the reason.

 

[Axanite | Liam]

If anyone ever asks to add you on Skype - always be cautious. Skype, by default, allows anyone to grab your IP Address if they know your username. To prevent this, on Skype, follow these steps:

1) Go to Tools > Options
2) Open the Advanced Tab and then select Connection
3) Here you will find an option called 'Allow Direct Connections to your Contacts Only', click on this.
4) Now your IP is hidden to anyone who is not a contact.

One thing to mention about this - keep in mind this only hides your IP from people who are not contacts. So, be careful when adding people. Usually when people ask to add you on Skype, they have the intention to DDoS you. c:

 

[MoLoToV]

• Do you know about DDoSing and how it works? How would you explain the act and its effects?

DDoS-ing is basically sending a lot of data from several locations( Not to be confused with DoS ). You could compare this with real life, if you'd poke someone they wouldn't bother much, but when you started poking someone with 100 people they'll flip out pretty quickly, and this is what happens with your internet connection aswell. Because of all the data that's tranferred to you it'll start to overload quickly and "shut down" your internet ( You are basically still online, but because of all the data your router has to process it's impossible to do anything else. )

If I made any mistakes on this, someone please correct me

 

[Ceroria]

Glad we're getting the ball rolling on this, I remember when this was brought up at a meeting last month. If you need any help writing or creating it, DM me on slack as I'd be more than happy to help.

 

[Imanol]

c:

 

[Axanite | Liam]

Glad we're getting the ball rolling on this, I remember when this was brought up at a meeting last month. If you need any help writing or creating it, DM me on slack as I'd be more than happy to help.

I second this. I'd be happy to help.

 

[Jon | Lqzer]

http://www.mcgamer.net/threads/ddos...or-diagnosing-stopping-and-preventing.136021/

Read this thread. It's very helpful. I made it last year, and I should probably add to it....

Spoiler: DDoS Prevention Guide

I have created this thread for the sole purpose of informing people of the true dangers of DDoSing, and also to give people tips for how to diagnose, stop, and prevent these attacks from happening to them. Due to the overwhelming questions and incorrect beliefs about DDoSing, I have created this guide to cater to everyone.

This took me approximately 1.5 hours to write up, and is based SOLELY off prior knowledge. I do not, have never, and will never have access to a booter. Using this information for malicious purpose may get you into serious legal trouble. Please do not copy this and take it as your own without direct permission from me.

DDoSing and You

I know very well what experiencing a DDoS attack is like with having been in clans for an extremely long time.

I am 100% positive that over the last 3-4 months I have been DDoS'd/DoS'd 50+ times.

I don't deserve it (nobody does) but sadly being a moderator in clans brings some complications with people wanting to rip your head off every other second for banning them. It's gotten to the point where I can name 30+ players in clans that have access to a booter and DDoS/DoS over clan fueds.

To sum it up, ddos/dos attacks happen a LOT MORE FREQUENTLY then people assume. Yes, there are those people that overreacted over slow internet, but if you are in a clan and your internet goes down for 5+ minutes (especially after being told directly that you're gonna "get hit"), most likely you are indeed experiencing a DDoS attack.

Difference between DoS attacks and DDoS attacks:
There is a difference: DoS attacks can be executed from your command prompt, are very weak, and are extremely traceable. What I am going to be explaining are DDoS attacks, which require a booter.

DDoS attack will more than likely crash your internet. A little bit of lag or slow connection is probably only just that.

The General Process as I'm aware of:

*This process is strictly informative, and I am not encouraging ANYONE to go out and ddos/dos anyone else.*

First off, the general assumption people make is "oh, ddos attacks can only be completed by using a ton of computers to send a ton of packets, and the general player only has one or two computers so they can't possibly be ddossing." While this is true, keep in mind that you don't need to own the computers to DDoS someone.

It is extremely easy to DDoS, all you need is a booter. The original purpose of a booter was for stress testing: this would give you an idea of how much your internet could withstand without going down. It would send packets to your router/website/server and by increasing the packets sent little by little, you could determine how strong your router/website/server was.

However, booters have taken on another use in the gaming world: DDoSing. Gamers that are mad at another gamer are able to run a "stress test" on another user as strong as their booter is able to get up to, effectively overloading and shutting down their internet for a certain period of time.

To give you an idea on how easy it is to get your hands on a booter, just use google.

When you have a booter, all you need is the direct address or the IP address of a person's router/website/server. With that, you plug it into the booter and voila: what originally had the purpose of testing your internet just took on an entirely different approach, and a malicious one at that.

As I stated earlier, I am aware of a ton of people who have access to a booter. It's not that difficult, and you'd be surprised on how much DDoSing actually goes on.

Steps to take to avoid being DDoS'd:

• First and foremost, stay away from people you are certain have a booter. Even though they might be your friends at the time, a simple argument and they could turn against you and take you down.
  
• Do NOT give your skype name to any random Joe off the street. Only give your Skype username to people that you trust. If someone that you trust gives your Skype name to someone that you don't trust, you should consider dumping your so-called "trusted friend".
  
  Why? Because anyone with your Skype name can use an online Skype resolver (it's free and on a website) to get your IP. And you know what they can do with your IP...
  
• Know your IP address. Is it static or dynamic? A simple google search can give you results:
  
  http://www.whatsmyip.org/
  
  Now that you know your IP, you are able to determine whether or not it is dynamic or static. Dynamic IPs are shared between other customers that have your service, and your IP most likely changes on a daily basis.
  
  Static IPs are the more common type of IP, and you most likely have one of these. A static IP remains the same unless you contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to get your IP changed.
  
  Contrary to popular belief, just because your router is DHCP Enabled DOES NOT MEAN you have a dynamic IP.
  
  An article on the differences:
  http://whatismyipaddress.com/dynamic-static
  
  The only sure-fire way to know what type of IP you have is to contact your ISP. Most of the stuff out there on how to check by yourself is incorrect. Even if you think you are doing the right thing on finding your type of IP, there is a great chance that the information between sources will contradict. For example, even if your computer/router is Dynamic IP enabled, that DOES NOT NECESSARILY mean that your ISP is dynamic IP enabled. If you aren't sure (or even if you are), check with your ISP just to be safe. Again, most likely you have a static IP.
  
  While having a static IP does allow better connection and is most popularly used, it does come with some downfalls. If you have a static IP, once someone gets your IP, they will have it for practically forever (unless you get a new router or you contact your ISP and beg them to assign you a new IP which is extremely difficult).
  
  On the other hand, by the off chance you have a Dynamic IP, it will change every day making it very difficult for people to get their hands on it
• Do NOT join any Teamspeak servers or game servers where you know there is someone that has access to the IPs that could potentially DDoS you or give your IP away.
  -----------------------------------
  If nobody gets your IP, you won't be DDoS'd.

How to tell if you are being DDoS'd:

1) You get personally told that you are going to be hit...
and then you go offline. :/ If you are on Teamspeak at the time, most likely you will see a dramatic increase in your incoming packets, sometimes up to 80% or higher. Everyone talking will become very choppy, and you will probably not be able to understand much. Upon attempting to change channels, you'll find that you just simply aren't switching channels because the Teamspeak server isn't receiving your clicks. Yes, your outgoing packets might be completely fine and people will still be able to hear you saying "hello? hello? what is happening?!?!?!", but you just won't be able to hear them.

And then your internet crashes. c:

2) Your internet crashes, and after 5 minutes, it still isn't back up. Most likely, you are being DDoS'd. Otherwise, your internet would be back up. If it normally stays down for 5 minutes during a normal crash, wait 20 minutes. Then you can be completely sure.

3) Call your ISP and ask. Chances are if your landline is connected to your modem, your home phone will not work. Use a cellular device, call your ISP, and ask if you are receiving any out-of-the ordinary amount of incoming packets. If you are, chances are your ISP will be able to divert/block the attack and trace it back to the person attacking you.
---------------------------------------
Again, a DDoS attack will more than likely crash your internet. A little bit of lag or slow connection is probably only just that.

How to stop/recover from a DDoS attack:

Step 1) Stop freaking out and unplug your damn router and modem already!

If you unplug your router and your modem, they have nothing to attack.

Also, some booters are strong enough that they can cause internal damage to your router or even fry it depending on how strong it is. Unplug, and you'll have nothing to worry about!

Step 2) Leave your router and modem unplugged for at least 20 minutes. Plug your router and modem back in once you feel that it's safe, and your internet should be working perfectly fine again!

On the off chance that your internet is not back up, contact your ISP. You may have been hit off for 24 hours, which has happened to me once before. Believe me, it is totally possible. Your ISP may be able to change your IP for you; this diverting all the unwanted traffic away.

Step 3 [Optional]) Contact your ISP and report a suspected DDoS attack. Also ask them to change your IP for you if they are able to, and ask them to monitor further situations.

Step 4) Stay away and keep away from known DDoSers. If they aren't mad at you, they won't DDoS you!

For example, I quit clans altogether because I was targetted by many DDoSers because I was both a moderator and a clan owner. So far, I haven't been hit off once since I quit!

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In short,

DDoS attacks are much more common than people realize. There are steps to prevent them from happening to you. If they occur frequently, stay away from the attackers and don't give them anything to DDoS you over. Lastly, contact your ISP if you have any further questions or need help.

If there is anything I've left off that you feel is extremely important, feel free to comment it below or PM me!

-Captain

 

[Evermore]

Why was my status deleted? all I said was "c:" that means a good thing...

Lmao xD