This kind of attack is not new but it has recently become a more serious problem because assailants have started to use other peoples' computers to launch distributed attacks without their owners' knowledge. Theoretically, any computer connected to the Internet might be used to launch an attack. Experts agree that in the long term, Web sites should consider making their gateways less public by requiring users to log on before using them. But it is hard for any given site to protect itself when the root cause is a lack of security on computers in general. Market analyst IDC estimates that there are around 30 million businesses connected to the Internet but that only around 800,000 have any kind of basic network security built in.
Connected businesses are the most likely to unwittingly contribute to a distributed DoS attack.
At present there is no legislation requiring basic levels of security for firms' network connections. However, if DoS attacks continue it may not be long before the US government makes moves in this direction. The US Department of Justice and the FBI are investigating the latest attacks but admit their efforts will take time and identifying the culprits will not be easy. The question posed by Turner is not always easy to answer. For example, if the weak point through which an attacker penetrates a Web site is a server farm in the UK, an action would probably be brought here, said Turner.