Sunday, May 15, 2016

2016 BIZ: HG: DDOS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks on OpenSim grids. What can we do?

DDOS attacks on OpenSim grids.  
What is the effect?  What can we do?
Two grids on the Hypergrid recently experienced DDOS attacks.  This article explains in layman's terms, what a DDOS attack is, how it will affect you, and what you can do about it (not much).  This is an issue that may lead grid operators to organize and meet to explore methods of making such attacks less effective.

Great Canadian Grid, DigiWorldz attacked

DoS, DDoS

In computing, a denial-of-service (DoS) attack is an attempt to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users, such as to temporarily or indefinitely interrupt or suspend services of a host connected to the Internet. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) is where the attack source is more than one, often thousands of, unique IP addresses. It is analogous to a group of people crowding the entry door or gate to a shop or business, and not letting legitimate parties enter into the shop or business, disrupting normal operations. (Wikipedia)
  • What happens to us users?
  • Will it damage the grid or my stuff?
  • How long will it take for the grid to recover?
  • What can I do about it?  
  • Is it illegal? 
  • What can grid operators do to prevent it?
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  • (More after the break)
  • Where is Arcadia?
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Metaverse events, current and upcoming

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What happens to us users?

  • You are unable to reach the login site.  
  • You may get a notice that the request timed out.  
  • Go to the G+ community site for the grid (if it has one).
  • See if the site manager has posted an explanation of the outage
  • Site managers may post such notices in other G+ communities like Opensim Virtual.  

Will it damage the grid or my stuff?

  • The attack does not get into the grid, so it can do no harm there.
  • The attack just blocks the front door so that no one can get in.

How long will it take for the grid to recover?

  • That depends on the grid.  About 2 days may be a reasonable estimate.
  • The grid operator will probably give an estimate in the G+ group.
  • Big grids may recover faster.

What can I do about it?  

  • Not much.  Wait.  Use another grid.  Watch TV?  OMG, no!
  • I found that the targeted grids we not accessible via hypergrid.
  • But hypergrid access might be spared by future configurations.

Is it illegal? 

  • In the US and some other places, yes.
  • But the perpetrators have ways of concealing their identity.

What can grid operators do to prevent it?

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News and Notes

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    The Hypergrid WIP Show

    The Hypergrid WIP is a one hour "show & tell" of works in progress or recently completed. All builders from beginner to pro are invited.  Presentations are in voice and text.  For text presentations, best bring the text in a notecard and paste it into chat.  Voice presentations may be captured in video.  Stills and videos from the show may appear in this blog and elsewhere.

    Next WIP show 

    • Next WIP show: Sun. May 22, Noon SLT 
    • Cookie II location (fourth Sunday of the month)
    • HG address below: paste into the World Map next to Find. Click Find, TP
    • grid.kitely.com:8002:Cookie II 
    • in Kitely: paste into Nav (top) bar of Firestorm, Enter.
    • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Cookie II/68/369/22
    • Narasnook  location (second Sunday of the month)
    • Pandora allows presenters to run high threat OSSL functions.
    • world.narasnook.com:8900
    • Put the line above in your World Map next to Find.  Click Find. TP
    • At Narasnook, use World Map to search for Pandora
    • Cookie II location (fourth Sunday of the month)
    • HG address below: paste into the World Map next to Find. Click Find, TP
    • grid.kitely.com:8002:Cookie II 
    • in Kitely: paste into Nav (top) bar of Firestorm, Enter.
    • hop://grid.kitely.com:8002/Cookie II/68/369/22

      Previous Articles from the WIP show 

      HG links-- depending on your interests 

      Metaverse beginner help

      Schools in virtual worlds

      • I publish 5 or 6 days a week, skipping 1 or 2 days in midweek
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      • For more on topics like this, follow Selby Evans in Google+ 
      • What do we do in Virtual Worlds? 
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      • Annotated screen shots made with Jing
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