The Unintentional Criminal: DDoS from the inside!

The criminals will most likely be using a compromised machine as an operations base from which they may launch a computer attack. This paper will highlight the IT Security problems resulting from the economic constraints on an ISP in a developing country and of their impact everywhere. I will use the example of a Distributed Denial of Service (thereafter DDoS) attack to demonstrate the process of its detection, analysis and protection. I will also discuss ways of raising the level of IT Security with minimum investment that could be attractive for low-budget companies. At the end it will be concluded that the lack of budget is not a good reason to reduce the security level, thus jeopardizing the security and continuity of operation of everyone else, because there is always a way to enhance the security level using free or low-cost solutions. It will also be clear the need to have IT staff with a sound understanding of the security process, even in small companies.