A friend’s twitter account just got hacked yesterday, thought this notice from Symantec is quite timely:
Symantec Security Response is currently monitoring the reported distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on Twitter and Facebook. Users visiting the Twitter and Facebook sites may notice a slowdown in service, or they may not be able to gain access to the site at all.
It is not known at this time if malware is involved in carrying out this attack, essentially causing computers worldwide to aid in the attack. As a precautionary measure, Symantec encourages all computer users to update their security software with the latest definitions, keep their computer systems clean and continue to use general best practices for staying safe online.
Symantec is continuing to monitor the situation and has posted a blog on DDoS attacks here by Marian Merritt, Symantec’s Internet Safety Advocate.
Precautions to take
- Computer users are encouraged not to visit sites that are rumoured to be under a DDoS attack for the sole purpose of seeing what happens. The increase of traffic will only delay access to the website and will prolong the attack.
- Best practices for staying safe online include not using “free” security scans that pop up on many websites. All too often these are fake, using scare tactics to get you to purchase their “full service.” Consumers should also regularly back up their computer and check bank and credit card accounts to ensure all of their transactions are legitimate.
- To lessen the likelihood of your computer being used in a DDoS attack, it’s critical to keep security protection up to date. For enterprises, securing all endpoints – from laptops to mobile devices – can lessen the impact of a DDoS attack. With the number of botnets in the threat landscape for rent, unsecured endpoints have the potential to become part of the larger DDoS attack and can be used to participate in phishing attacks and spread spam and distribute malware.
