Subject: [Seamoby] Topic #1: Dos Attack

From: "James Kempf" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2003 12:00:02 -0800

One objection that was raised to having a server provide the list of authentic
access points is that an MN can launch a DoS attack on the server.

If the router uses a softstate cache, the server load will only occur if the MN
presents a new AP id. Now, it is possible that an MN can attack by making up AP
ids and sending them to the router. A properly provisioned server should be able
to handle that if the attacking MN tries to pose as a legitimate one by
regulating its traffic. The server capacity must be large enough to handle the
routers that are using it. If the MN doesn't regulate traffic and it bombards
the router, the router can selectively drop message packets if the message
volume becomes too large. Thus, service degrades but is not denied, until the
sysadmin finds the offending MN and takes it off the air.

Note that the same problem, an MN bombarding a router with packets, can occur
for dycard as well, so it is not exclusive to the server approach.

What am I missing?

            jak

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