DDoS attackers start targeting IPv6 networks

Cybercriminals have started launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against networks that transmit data over IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6).

Even though 2011 was the first year when IPv6 DDoS attacks were recorded, such incidents remain rare because they are not economically relevant for Internet criminals, said Bill Cerveny, a senior software quality assurance engineer at Arbor. Some companies have projected increases of more than 100 percent for their IPv6 traffic volumes over the next 12 months, but the changes will be insignificant compared to the overall traffic volume. The majority of organizations remain reluctant to switch to the new IP protocol version because their existent network security and traffic analysis equipment is not fully compatible with it. Many infrastructure solutions currently do not offer the same features and functionality for IPv6 as they do for IPv4. Neal Quinn, vice president of operations at DDoS mitigation vendor Prolexic, believes that the current IPv6 DDoS attacks are most likely tests performed by malware writers. They want to be prepared when large Internet service providers will start switching their subscribers to IPv6. Original news can be read at Network World web site.