Denial of Service Attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is a type of cyber attack that involves sending large amounts of traffic to a server or network in order to overwhelm it and cause it to crash or become unavailable. The traffic is usually generated from multiple sources, making it difficult to trace and block. DDoS attacks can be used to target websites, networks, or even individual computers.

Background: Project Galileo

Project Galileo, founded in 2014, is a program by Cloudflare that aims to protect vulnerable organizations such as artistic groups, humanitarian organizations, and political dissidents from cyber attacks through free and robust security services. These organizations often have limited budgets and are targeted by powerful opponents, but Project Galileo offers its services to them through trusted partners, without implying endorsement from all partner organizations. The goal is to ensure that the internet can continue to be used as a tool for spreading and expanding ideas, without being hindered by malicious traffic.

Part 1: Investigate Project Galileo

1. Visit the Project Galileo website and read the information about the program.
2. What is the goal of Project Galileo?
3. What are the types of services that Project Galileo offers?
4. Who are the partners of Project Galileo?

Part 2: Discussion

1. What are some of the reasons that an organization might be targeted by a DoS attack?
2. Imagine yourself as an adminsitrator for Project Galileo.
   • How do you decide who to offer the service to?
   • Should it be based on anyone who needs it?
   • Should it be based on content, merit, or type of speech?
   • Should it only be for services currently under attack, or is a proactive approach appropriate?
   • How would you decide which “tier” of service to offer to an applicant?