Editing Zombie (computing) (section)

== Distributed denial-of-service attacks ==
Zombies can be used to conduct [[distributed denial-of-service]] (DDoS) attacks, a term which refers to the orchestrated flooding of target websites by large numbers of computers at once. The large number of Internet users making simultaneous requests of a website's server is intended to result in crashing and the prevention of legitimate users from accessing the site.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Truth about Avoiding Scams|page=[https://archive.org/details/truthaboutavoidi0000weis/page/201 201]|first=Steve|last=Weisman|publisher=FT Press|year=2008|isbn=978-0-13-233385-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/truthaboutavoidi0000weis/page/201}}</ref> A variant of this type of flooding is known as distributed degradation-of-service. Committed by "pulsing" zombies, distributed degradation-of-service is the moderated and periodical flooding of websites intended to slow down rather than crash a victim site. The effectiveness of this tactic springs from the fact that intense flooding can be quickly detected and remedied, but pulsing zombie attacks and the resulting slow-down in website access can go unnoticed for months and even years.<ref>{{cite book|title=Internet and the Law|year=2006|page=325|first=Aaron|last=Schwabach|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=1-85109-731-7}}</ref>  

The computing facilitated by the [[Internet of things|Internet of Things]] (IoT) has been productive for modern-day usage, yet it has played a significant role in the increase in web attacks. The potential of IoT enables every device to communicate efficiently, but this also intensifies the need for policy enforcement regarding security threats. Among these threats, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks are prevalent. Research has been conducted to study the impact of such attacks on IoT networks and to develop compensating provisions for defense.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lohachab|first1=Ankur|last2=Karambir|first2=Bidhan|date=2018-09-01|title=Critical Analysis of DDoS—An Emerging Security Threat over IoT Networks|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s41650-018-0022-5|journal=Journal of Communications and Information Networks|language=en|volume=3|issue=3|pages=57–78|doi=10.1007/s41650-018-0022-5|s2cid=52924506|issn=2509-3312|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Consultation services specialized in IoT security, such as those offered by [https://gravitechdreams.com/service/iot-consulting/ IoT consulting firms]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, play a vital role in devising comprehensive strategies to safeguard IoT ecosystems from cyber threats.

Notable incidents of distributed denial- and degradation-of-service attacks in the past include the attack upon the [[Spam Prevention Early Warning System|SPEWS]] service in 2003, and the one against [[Blue Frog]] service in 2006. In 2000, several prominent Web sites ([[Yahoo]], [[eBay]], etc.) were clogged to a standstill by a distributed denial of service attack mounted by '[[MafiaBoy]]', a Canadian teenager.