Security News > 2020 > March > DDoS attack on US Health agency part of coordinated campaign

DDoS attacks come in different sizes and types and it's not been revealed which methods were used beyond the fact the attacks lasted for hours.

These days, DDoS attacks are not the potent weapon they once were, primarily because large websites are protected by a newer generation of defences trained on a number of large attacks, hijacking a widening range of protocols.

It's all relative of course, but downplaying it might be to miss the point because this attack was unusual in another way - officials said it coincided with a disinformation campaign carried out via SMS, email and social media that reportedly claimed that a national quarantine of the US was imminent.

The purpose might have been to spread a rumour that citizens visiting the HHS site would not have been able to confirm thanks to the DDoS attack.

If Sunday's DDoS attack on the HHS is only the start, COVID-19 might yet change this indifference.

News URL

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/03/18/ddos-attack-on-us-health-agency-part-of-coordinated-campaign/