Major websites were down and not working properly on Oct. 21 due to a large-scale cyber attack on the internet service provider Dyn, Inc. The attack primarily affected the East Coast, but because of how Dyn functions, internet users worldwide encountered problems. There are speculations as to who could be responsible for this cyber attack, but no definitive information is yet available.
The cyber attack has affected websites like Twitter, Spotify, and Reddit, with users experiencing issues loading or accessing the sites properly. Dyn operates domain names, known as DNS (domain name servers). Essentially, they ensure that when you type in an address, your computer pulls up the right site and displays it properly. Andrew Griffin at the Independent compares DNS function to that of the white pages in that they direct your search to where it wants to go.
Scott Hilton, executive vice president of products at Dyn, further explained the attack in a statement to Bustle:
This morning, October 21, Dyn received a global DDoS attack on our Managed DNS infrastructure in the east coast of the United States. DNS traffic resolved from east coast name server locations are experiencing a service degradation or intermittent interruption during this time. We have been aggressively mitigating the DDoS attack against our infrastructure. Services have been restored to normal as of 13:20 UTC.
Customers with questions or concerns are encouraged to check our status page for updates and reach out to our Technical Support Team.
The cyber attack came from a tactic known as distributed denial of service (DDoS). According to Cisco, the nature of the attack indicates this was a coordinated effort, from multiple "malicious users." They create a flood of website requests, which essentially crash those company's sites. Since Dyn now has resolved the technical issues, the focus will likely turn to discovering who was behind the attack.
The cyber attack came from a tactic known as distributed denial of service (DDoS). According to Cisco, the nature of the attack indicates this was a coordinated effort, from multiple "malicious users." They create a flood of website requests, which essentially crash those company's sites. Since Dyn now has resolved the technical issues, the focus will likely turn to discovering who was behind the attack.
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