DDoS Attack Hits Skype

Attack by CyberTeam proves DDoS is still a threat.

Users who were experiencing frustration with Skype last week took to social media to express their outrage at the communication platform. Now, eating their words, it appears as though hackers may have been to blame for a DDoS attack the took down Skype off and on for several days, occasionally crippling both calls and messaging.

A group called CyberTeam issued a few braggy tweets during the attack, claiming responsibility. Interestingly, the group already issued a warning about its next target, Steam.

CyberTeam have warned that Stream is next target.

High profile attacks

DDoS attacks hit their news headline highpoint in the past year when a series of attacks affected multiple high-profile platforms, mostly centralized to the east coast US. Other hacking events hit schools and universities with similar methods, including one highly publicized DDoS event that used the vending machines and smart light bulbs at a university to complete continuous loop searches for seafood.

Mutltiple vulnerabilities

More information on modes of attack is widely available, but what’s really intriguing about this type of hacking is the ease, largely thanks to unsecured internet of things home devices. Everything from home Wi-Fi routers to web cams has been used to flood businesses’ websites with repeated searches in order to disrupt service. In the workplace, vulnerabilities can be traced straight back to lack of employee training; this has led to the one of the sharpest increases in ransomware attacks in just the first half of last year. Too many businesses also rely on outdated and misguidedly inadequate security protocols, then are surprised when an attack takes down their sites.

It’s worth noting that not all DDoS issues are the work of cybercriminals, which is why so many users were unaware of an issue with Skype. Heavy traffic events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping days in the US can have virtually the same effect if businesses aren’t prepared to handle the sudden overload.

Download the latest version of Skype here.

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