In the operational security community, Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) is the “gun” used in extortion. Extortion is a human crime – where one group (or individual) preys on another. We mitigate extortion through civic society’s rules (laws) and enforcement (justice system). This dual system of laws and enforcement is further reinforced with education – where the youth of our civic society are taught how they fit in and contribute to this social compact.
The challenge we face in today’s civic society of the Global Telecommunications Network is one of no laws or enforcement which will work across all national boundaries. If a organization, law enforcement agency, or other group were to find someone using DDOS as their extortion tool, there would be little effective means to prosecute and lock up the criminal. As such, networks have had to use other means to mitigate the effect of these “extortion” attacks. Techniques, technology, and approaches which mitigate the #1 “DDOS extortion” concern of SPs – collateral damage.
Key take away – don’t say “DDOS,” we do not have a DDOS problem in the industry. What we have is an extortion problem where DDOS is a tool used to commit the crime. In another words, say “DDOS Extortion.”