Author: Matthew Hull
Date: 12:43:54 02/11/03
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On February 11, 2003 at 15:29:57, Robert Hyatt wrote: >On February 11, 2003 at 13:42:16, Bob Durrett wrote: > >> >>This computer chess bulletin board has, historically, been mostly preoccupied >>with chess engines, with an occasional reference to chess database management >>software as an afterthought. But there are other kinds of chess software which >>could and should be discussed here. These include chess servers, such as the >>Internet Chess Club [ICC] server, and online databases, such as the ChessBase >>online database. >> >>Now that the USA Federal Government has formally announced, thru CNN and other >>news media, that it has formed an Internet Warfare unit [presumably to interfere >>with IRAQ internet], ALL nations, international corporations, and other >>international organizations will feel the necessity of following suit, >>developing and using their own internet warfare capabilities, both defensive and >>offensive. Within a few years, the Internet may be VERY different. >> >>How will this affect the operation of internet chess software? Consider two >>cases: >> >>(1) Internet Chess Club: >> >>It is not uncommon to have thousands of people using the ICC server >>simultaneously. Each user relies on software, such as Blitzin, on their >>computers. The composite of the ICC server(s), the thousands of computers >>hooked up to the ICC server, and the interconnecting internet may be considered >>to be a large "system." Interference with the operation of this large system >>would disrupt ICC-related operations. >> >>A few years ago, a malicious computer guru decided to shut down ICC because he >>had been kicked out for misbehavior. That malcontent effectively "all but shut >>down" the system by sending thousands of messages to ICC. Essentially, the >>internet routers were overloaded so that ICC's server could not use the >>internet. Somehow, ICC got that *&^#$ to quit. Maybe they shot him, I don't >>know. But that was a warning! It showed that ICC is vulnerable to "internet >>warfare." >> >>It would have been quite irritating if ICC’s coverage of the Kasparov vs DJ >>match had been disrupted. >> >> >>(2) ChessBase On-line Database: >> >>I do not know about any history of interference in this case, perhaps because >>the on-line server has not been online very long. >> >>SUMMARY: >> >>Is this just "unnecessary worrying"? After all, who would care about chess??? >> >>Bob D. > > >The problem is known as a "denial of service (DOS) attack". It's based on the >idea of initiating a TCP/IP session by sending a SYN packet with a bogus return >address. The remote machine sends a packet back to start the tcp/ip handshake >negotiation, but gets no response. However, it has to wait for quite a while >before timing the connection attempt out, since net lag can cause significant >delays. If you do this over and over, you keep all "available" connections >tied up (a machine has a max number of simultaneous TCP/IP connections it >can handle) so that legit users can rarely slip into one of the free slots >since the abuser is bombarding them with new connections (most of which are >rejected due to no more slots). > >There is little that can be done. It happens to businesses around the world >on a weekly basis, and it has resulted in some businesses having to close down >permanently. A well-known ISP in NY had this happen a couple of years ago and >their customers had to move elsewhere as the ISP could not provide any tcp/ip >connectivity. > >The internet is a hostile place, but it will get better. One long-overdue >change is the elimination of _all_ anonymous activities, from anonymous >remailers, to allowing someone to send a packet that doesn't have them as the >return address, etc. > >It will eventually be fixed. IPV6 is one approach that is picking up steam. I beleive SYN floods can be easily counteracted through the activation of SYN Cookies on Linux firewall machines. For Windows boxes, I think Steve Gibson has devolped an equivalent technology, (though it is not clear whether it is for sale). Matt
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