A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one of the most popular tools in the cybercriminal arsenal. The motives behind such attacks can vary – from cyber-hooliganism to extortion. There have been cases where criminal groups have threatened their victims with a DDoS attack unless the latter paid 5 bitcoins (more than $5,000). Often, a DDoS attack is used to distract IT staff while another cybercrime such as data theft or malware injection is carried out.
Атака типа Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) является одним из самых популярных инструментов в арсенале киберпреступников. Мотивом для DDoS-атаки может быть что угодно — от кибер-хулиганства до вымогательства. Известны случаи, когда преступные группы угрожали своим жертвам DDoS-атакой, если те не заплатят им 5 биткоинов (то есть больше $5000). Часто DDoS-атаку используют для того, чтобы отвлечь ИТ-персонал, пока происходит другое киберпреступление, например, кража данных или внедрение вредоносного ПО.
The concept of a smart city involves bringing together various modern technologies and solutions that can ensure comfortable and convenient provision of services to people, public safety, efficient consumption of resources, etc. However, something that often goes under the radar of enthusiasts championing the smart city concept is the security of smart city components themselves. The truth is that a smart city’s infrastructure develops faster than security tools do, leaving ample room for the activities of both curious researchers and cybercriminals.