Root Cause Analysis of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack

RCA of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack

• Technology
  • Open Ports
  • Insufficient Bandwidth
  • Inadequate Network Security
  • Absence of anti-DDoS solutions
  • Weak intrusion detection systems (IDS)
  • Vulnerable Systems
  • Misconfigured firewalls or routers
  • Poor patch management
• Processes
  • Inconsistent Traffic Filtering
  • Insufficient Testing
  • Weak Incident Response Plan 
  • Lack of Monitoring
• People
  • Internal Threats
  • Social Engineering Vulnerabilities
  • Lack of Awareness
• Attack Techniques
  • Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
  • Reflection and Amplification
  • Botnets
• External Factors
  • Market Competition
  • Third-Party Dependencies
  • Lack of Global Cooperation

Suggested Actions Checklist

Here are some corrective actions, preventive actions and investigative actions that organizations may find useful:

• Technology
  • Open Ports
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Close all unnecessary open ports across network devices and servers.
    • Configure firewall rules to restrict port access based on need-to-know.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Implement regular port scanning and review procedures.
    • Enforce port management policies across all environments.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Audit past security incidents to identify exploited open ports.
    • Review firewall and network device configurations for anomalies.
  • Insufficient Bandwidth
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Upgrade network infrastructure to support higher traffic volumes.
    • Implement traffic prioritization and load balancing solutions.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Monitor bandwidth usage continuously and forecast future needs.
    • Establish bandwidth thresholds and alerts to prevent saturation.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze traffic logs to detect bandwidth spikes and usage patterns.
    • Conduct root cause analysis of service slowdowns or outages.
  • Inadequate Network Security
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Deploy robust firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and anti-malware tools.
    • Establish network segmentation to limit attack surfaces.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Regularly update security policies and ensure compliance through audits.
    • Implement a multi-layered security architecture.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Assess past breaches or anomalies for lapses in network security.
    • Review historical configuration changes and access logs.
  • Vulnerable Systems
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Isolate exploited systems and apply security patches.
    • Reconfigure firewalls and load balancers to block suspicious traffic.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Use DDoS protection tools like WAFs and CDNs to filter traffic.
    • Harden systems by disabling unused ports and services.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Review logs and traffic data to find exploited weaknesses.
    • Scan all systems for unpatched software and insecure settings.
• Processes
  • Inconsistent Traffic Filtering
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Standardize firewall and access control list configurations across systems.
    • Apply uniform filtering rules aligned with organizational policies.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Regularly review and test all filtering mechanisms.
    • Create checklists and SOPs to enforce consistency during updates.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Examine logs for instances of unauthorized or anomalous traffic.
    • Conduct configuration drift analysis between systems.
  • Insufficient Testing
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Enhance security testing protocols for network changes and software deployments.
    • Include penetration testing and simulated attack scenarios.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Integrate security testing into the CI/CD pipeline.
    • Establish mandatory testing gates for all releases.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Review incident reports to trace issues back to untested changes.
    • Analyze test coverage reports to identify gaps.
  • Weak Incident Response Plan
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Revise the IR plan with detailed workflows, escalation matrices, and contact trees.
    • Conduct training and tabletop exercises with all key stakeholders.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Schedule regular updates and rehearsals of the incident response plan.
    • Assign defined roles and responsibilities with backups.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Review the effectiveness of past responses and post-mortem reports.
    • Identify bottlenecks and delays during incident handling.
  • Lack of Monitoring
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Deploy centralized monitoring tools and configure alerts for anomalies.
    • Ensure critical systems are under active surveillance 24/7.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Implement log aggregation and SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) systems.
    • Enforce log review policies and assign monitoring responsibilities.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze recent breaches or near misses where monitoring could have prevented escalation.
    • Review audit logs for missed or delayed detections.
• People
  • Internal Threats
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Revoke unnecessary privileges and implement role-based access controls.
    • Increase audits and background checks for employees in sensitive roles.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Enforce least-privilege principles and user activity monitoring.
    • Provide training on secure practices and consequences of misuse.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Perform behavioral analytics on user actions to detect anomalies.
    • Conduct forensic investigations into suspicious insider activities.
  • Social Engineering Vulnerabilities
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Deploy email filters and multi-factor authentication.
    • Provide phishing simulations and real-time awareness training.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Incorporate social engineering resistance into onboarding and refresher training.
    • Develop clear procedures for verifying sensitive requests.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze successful phishing attempts to understand entry points.
    • Interview affected users to determine response weaknesses.
  • Lack of Awareness
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Launch company-wide cybersecurity awareness campaigns.
    • Address specific knowledge gaps through targeted workshops.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Make security training mandatory and refresh it periodically.
    • Use interactive tools and real-world examples to reinforce learning.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Conduct pre- and post-training assessments to measure awareness levels.
    • Review incident reports where human error played a role.
• Attack Techniques
  • Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Apply virtual patching through IPS/IDS and isolate vulnerable systems.
    • Work with vendors for rapid patch deployment once available.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Use threat intelligence feeds to detect emerging zero-day threats.
    • Harden systems and disable unnecessary services to reduce exposure.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Conduct root cause analysis of incidents involving unknown exploits.
    • Analyze system behavior anomalies prior to known exploits.
  • Reflection and Amplification
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Block traffic from known spoofed sources and misused protocols.
    • Disable unnecessary services (e.g., open DNS resolvers).
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Implement ingress and egress filtering to prevent spoofing.
    • Use rate limiting and traffic shaping for vulnerable services.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze attack vectors and protocol misuse patterns in historical data.
    • Review exposed services for potential amplification misuse.
  • Botnets
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Isolate infected devices and perform deep cleaning and patching.
    • Block known botnet C2 (Command and Control) addresses at firewall level.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Employ behavioral analytics and threat intelligence for early detection.
    • Use endpoint protection with botnet mitigation capabilities.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Track the infection path and determine how systems were compromised.
    • Identify command and control servers used in the attack.
• External Factors
  • Market Competition
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Improve security posture to retain customer trust and competitive advantage.
    • Invest in unique security capabilities as differentiators.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Benchmark against top industry players for continuous improvement.
    • Regularly update risk assessments to reflect market dynamics.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze how security incidents have impacted brand perception and customer loss.
    • Study competitor responses to similar security challenges.
  • Third-Party Dependencies
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Conduct thorough third-party risk assessments and audits.
    • Enforce contract-based security standards and SLAs.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Use vendor management tools to monitor compliance continuously.
    • Require regular security certifications and reports from vendors.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Investigate breaches linked to vendor systems or services.
    • Assess vendor security posture and incident response capabilities.
  • Lack of Global Cooperation
    • Corrective Actions:
    • Collaborate with international threat intelligence networks.
    • Participate in global forums for coordinated cybersecurity response.
    • Preventive Actions:
    • Stay updated with global cybercrime trends and regulatory expectations.
    • Establish bilateral agreements for incident sharing and response.
    • Investigative Actions:
    • Analyze cases where lack of cross-border cooperation hindered mitigation.
    • Study international case laws or treaties relevant to recent incidents.