(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/Mikko Lemola)
Dyn, a company that manages internet performance and DNS services, has been hit by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack from an unknown source. The attack disrupted service for several high-profile websites and platforms.
Among the services affected were GitHub, Twitter, SaneBox, Reddit, Airbnb, and Heroku. These sites experienced partial outages or intermittent access problems while the attack was ongoing.
The incident began at 11:10 UTC and specifically targeted Dyn’s Managed DNS infrastructure. According to Dyn’s incident updates, the primary impact was in the US East region, and services were reported to have been restored to normal by 13:20 UTC.
Scott Hilton, Executive Vice President of Products at Dyn, released a statement explaining the situation:
“On the morning of October 21, Dyn experienced a global DDoS attack on our Managed DNS infrastructure on the east coast of the United States. DNS traffic resolved from east coast name server locations experienced service degradation or intermittent interruption during this time. Updates will be posted as information becomes available.”
With service restored, attention has shifted to identifying the perpetrator. An attack of this scale against a major DNS provider demonstrates significant capability and coordination, and it remains to be seen whether any individual or group will claim responsibility.
This incident echoes a prior campaign around the previous Christmas period, when PlayStation Network and Xbox Live were disrupted for an extended period. That attack was claimed by a group known as Lizard Squad. In an interview, a member of that group told Sky News the motive was to highlight poor security practices at companies that earn substantial revenue from subscriptions and in-game purchases.
The Lizard Squad episode also illustrated how relatively small teams can cause major disruption. The group claimed the attack was carried out by just a few individuals, with the youngest participant reportedly being 13 years old.
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