CSCE 201 Chapter 4 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is one of the most common and simplest attacks on a system?

Denial of service (correct)

Session hacking

Password cracking

Buffer overflow

Which of the following is not a valid way to define a computer's workload?

Speed of network connection

Maximum voltage (correct)

Number of simultaneous users

Storage capacity

What do you call a DoS launched from several machines simultaneously?

Smurf attack

DDoS attack (correct)

SYN flood

Wide-area attack

Leaving a connection half open is referred to as what?

SYN flood attack Signup and view all the answers

What is the basic mechanism behind a DoS attack?

Computers can only handle a finite load. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most significant weakness in a DoS attack from the attacker's viewpoint?

The attack must be sustained. Signup and view all the answers

What is the most common class of DoS attacks?

Distributed denial of service Signup and view all the answers

What are three methods for protecting against SYN flood attacks?

SYN cookies, RST cookies, and stack tweaking Signup and view all the answers

Which attack mentioned in this chapter causes a network to perform a DoS on one of its own servers?

Smurf attack Signup and view all the answers

A defense that depends on a hash encryption being sent back to the requesting client is called what?

SYN cookies Signup and view all the answers

What type of defense depends on sending the client an incorrect SYNACK?

RST cookies Signup and view all the answers

What type of defense depends on changing the server so that unfinished handshaking times out sooner?

Stack tweaking Signup and view all the answers

What type of attack is dependent on sending packets too large for the server to handle?

Ping of death Signup and view all the answers

What type of attack uses Internet routers to perform a DoS on the target?

DDoS Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a DDoS attack?

MyDoom virus Signup and view all the answers

How can securing internal routers help protect against DoS attacks?

It will prevent an attack from propagating across network segments. Signup and view all the answers

What can you do to your internal network routers to help defend against DoS attacks?

Disallow all traffic that comes from outside the network Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was rated by many experts to be the fastest growing virus on the Internet?

Smurf virus Signup and view all the answers

What can you do with your firewall to defend against DoS attacks?

Block all incoming ICMP packets Signup and view all the answers

Why will protecting against Trojan horse attacks reduce DoS attacks?

Because many denial of service attacks are conducted by using a Trojan horse to get an unsuspecting machine to execute the DoS. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks

Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are one of the most prevalent and straightforward methods to disrupt a system.
DoS attacks exploit the fact that computers can only manage a finite load, making them vulnerable to overwhelming traffic.
A DoS attack launched from multiple machines is termed a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.
Leaving a connection half open is categorized as a SYN flood attack.

Definitions and Characteristics

Basic mechanism behind a DoS attack hinges on the finite capacity of computers to handle requests.
A significant challenge for attackers is that DoS attacks must be sustained for effectiveness.
The most common class of DoS attacks is DDoS attacks, which utilize multiple source points.

Protection and Defense Mechanisms

Effective defenses against SYN flood attacks include SYN cookies, RST cookies, and stack tweaking.
The use of SYN cookies enables secure SYN-ACK communications to mitigate potential attacks.
RST cookies rely on sending incorrect SYN-ACK responses to thwart connection attempts.
Stack tweaking involves adjusting server settings to timeout unfinished handshakes more rapidly.

Types of Attacks

Ping of death attacks rely on sending oversized packets that the target server cannot manage.
Smurf attacks exploit Internet routers to launch DoS attacks on a target by amplifying the traffic.

Notable Threats

MyDoom virus is categorized as one of the fastest-growing viruses linked to DDoS attacks.
Professionals rate the Smurf virus highly due to its impact and spread on the Internet.

Network Security Measures

Securing internal routers can help limit the propagation of DoS attacks across network segments.
Disallowing incoming traffic from untrusted sources can fortify internal networks against external threats.
Firewalls can be configured to block incoming ICMP packets, providing a defensive layer against potential DoS attacks.

Relationship Between Trojan Horses and DoS Attacks

Protecting against Trojan horse attacks is crucial as they are often used to facilitate DoS attacks by commandeering unsuspecting machines to execute them.

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Description

Test your knowledge with these flashcards from CSCE 201 Chapter 4. This quiz covers key concepts related to system attacks and computer workloads. Perfect for students preparing for examinations or wanting to reinforce their understanding of the material.