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DoS attack
Last modified: Thursday, September 02, 2004
Short for denial-of-service attack, a type of attack on a network that is designed to bring the network to its knees by flooding it with useless traffic. Many DoS attacks, such as the Ping of Death and Teardrop attacks, exploit limitations in the TCP/IP protocols. For all known DoS attacks, there are software fixes that system administrators can install to limit the damage caused by the attacks. But, like viruses, new DoS attacks are constantly being dreamed up by hackers.
eSecurity Planet A resource for daily information on e-security targeted to IT managers. The site provides users with information from a variety of sources, including experts at security product and services firms, and the consultants who follow the security industry.
CERT home page This site hosts the CERT Coordination Center, an organization that focuses on computer security concerns for Internet users. Their home page contains information about the organization, links to an FTP site where CERT advisories can be retrieved, FAQs, archives, and research information.
