Following the article Online Protection, many websites have once again faced a surge of large-scale attacks. While businesses hesitate to speak out, DDoS attacks, often seen as detrimental to network resources, have caught the attention of hackers, and they have begun to voice their opinions.
Mr. Hoàng Ngọc Diêu, an IT solutions specialist at an insurance company in Australia and a member of the management board of a large hacker forum in Vietnam, believes that denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) are a result of exploration and experimentation in the security world. “It’s like a sharp knife. If used properly, it can serve a good purpose, but if misused, it can cause significant harm. DDoS has become a pressing issue today because it is in the hands of too many ill-intentioned individuals, and any security professional despises it,” Mr. Diêu asserts.
“We specifically target IT websites, forums, and adult sites, and we avoid attacking businesses unless provoked by the admin,” revealed a hacker using the nickname hero_zero. “DDoS is an easy, straightforward, and time-efficient method; all you need to do is ‘catch’ as many websites as possible. Most individuals who choose DDoS attacks are young members who lack the ability to penetrate other people’s websites.”
Some believe that this is the last resort and most desperate measure for hackers when they cannot exploit vulnerabilities or attack their intended targets. The main purpose of DDoS attacks is to prevent users from accessing a website. Taking advantage of this characteristic, some hackers have started offering DDoS services for hire. “I was hired to take down a Vietnamese website for $2,000. If I didn’t execute a DDoS attack, someone else would. Furthermore, I also wanted to test their security level and infiltrate their extensive database,” a foreign hacker confessed.
Vietnamese hackers are whispering about a group that specializes in renting DDoS attacks for clients in business and security sectors. Tấn Quang, a hacker from Ho Chi Minh City, noted: “Many individuals hire ‘cyber hitmen’ online to eliminate competitors, engaging in back-and-forth DDoS attacks, ultimately causing losses to both sides without resolving the issue. Cybersecurity deteriorates further, leaving genuine IT professionals and hackers feeling insecure.”
The IT community has witnessed DDoS attacks on a scale that even hackers fear the power of such “borrowing wind to bend bamboo.” Regular internet users cannot distinguish whether the banners on compromised websites have embedded DDoS attack codes, or whether simply clicking on a song while visiting a music website initiates two programs, one of which contains a command to attack another site.
Confronting DDoS attacks are none other than security experts and research teams. For them, such actions showcase a lack of knowledge and deserve to be looked down upon and condemned. For this reason, Mr. Diêu believes that abroad, few officially claim responsibility for any form of DDoS, except for research and mitigation purposes. “In other countries, DDoS attacks are diverse and can be conducted for experimentation, pressure tactics, or to prove a point… However, they are often brief,” the veteran hacker stated.
DDoS – A Double-Edged Sword
Due to the unpredictable damages of DDoS attacks, the demand for understanding DDoS and attendance at cybersecurity training courses has increased. Mr. Võ Đỗ Thắng, head of the projects and training department at the Athena Network Management Training Center (Ho Chi Minh City), stated: “Teaching security is a sensitive issue given the current climate. To protect their systems, students must be equipped with knowledge about attack mechanisms and defense solutions.”
Learning about IT in general or security specifically cannot rely solely on theory; it must be demonstrated in a system. This applies to DDoS as well, where the entire attack process is executed by instructors on an internal network. “We provide DDoS tools to students solely for educational purposes and always guide them to stay on the right path to become security experts. The first lesson we teach is always about ethics,” Mr. Thắng added. “However, the center cannot control or be responsible if students apply their knowledge destructively.”
The phenomenon of DDoS attacks on websites in Vietnam is rapidly developing, almost becoming a trend. Most of these attacks are carried out by students using available DDoS tools (script kiddies). To engage with such attackers (DDoSers), a hacker suggests: “Create a really pro nickname, find a DDoS code, and test a few websites; then you will attract many contacts. To know who the DDoS attacker is, you must first be a DDoSer.”
The number of DDoS attackers in Vietnam is increasing, but this does not imply that most hackers support it. Tấn Quang shared: “It’s truly a disaster, and knowledgeable individuals with skills and ethics will not harm websites or assert power in this way. Don’t attack for unjust purposes. Let’s say no to DDoS.”
Representing a group of hackers who have just declared a “break” from DDoS attacks, one member revealed: “We realized we were wrong for publishing the DDoS tool x-flash. DDoS harms the attacker as well, consuming their personal computer’s bandwidth and risking getting attacked back. To amend past mistakes, we will stop publishing attack tools and disable previously released ones as they have recognizable and preventable features.”
Limiting DDoS Requires Coordination Between Technical and Legal Measures
According to cybersecurity expert Hoàng Ngọc Diêu, to minimize damage, webmasters can use software firewalls like HCe’firewall or other firewall scripts, check their websites daily, and log scripts that do not assist attackers. Additionally, ISPs should monitor the number of zombies (compromised computers) being exploited for attacks, inform users of their inadvertent collaboration, and filter originating DDoS websites. Furthermore, laws regarding high-tech crimes are also a solution to target the mindset of DDoS attackers.
Mr. Diêu further stated: “Authorities must pay adequate attention to issues affecting e-commerce, as they directly impact the national economy. Existing laws need timely amendments and strict penalties for destructive actions in the online environment.”
“To trace the perpetrators, there must be high cooperation and determination from businesses, ISPs, IT experts, and the laws governing cyber crimes,” remarked Mr. Nguyễn Anh Hào, an instructor specializing in security at the Athena Network Management Training Center. “If the law imposes strict penalties and acts decisively against these cybercriminals, it will somewhat limit the playful DDoS attackers while also serving as a strong deterrent against those motivated by money, who are seen as the trigger for illegal online profit-making.”
“Although some members passionate about IT have acted inappropriately to prove themselves, not all hackers are bad or destructive,” one hacker expressed. “Before accusing DDoS, e-commerce businesses need to reassess their capabilities, resources, and technical proficiency. Weak security means that even without DDoS or hacking, they cannot survive.”
Mr. Hoàng Ngọc Diêu affirmed: “It is a negative attitude towards the danger of DDoS to leave it entirely to software, hardware, router, and firewall providers, and this will not yield positive results.”
Văn Hồng – Nguyễn Hằng
