Latest DDOS Attack Was One of Sophistication

CYBERSPACE — With increasingly common reports of distributed denial of service attacks, webmasters in a number of industries are on the alert, and the adult industry is no exception.

The latest reported adult-related DDOS attack allegedly started on Jan.18 and involved two unidentified adult websites. The operator of one of the websites launched the attack in an attempt to shut down the other website, a competitor on Internet service provider ISPrime. The attack, which lasted about a day, was followed by another attack the next day. The attacks reportedly resulted in the occupation of about 5 GB/second of ISPrime’s bandwidth before the company was able to filter the hostile traffic.

“This attack was one of the larger and required a bit more effort for our support staff to deal with than typical attacks,” ISPrime CTO Phil Rosenthal told XBIZ, “and it certainly represents a disturbing trend in the sophistication of denial of service attacks, but it was still within our technological capabilities to countermeasure such attacks.”

Such attacks are expected by many to not only become more common, but also to become more sophisticated.

“The potential for being DDOS’d is a fact of life in this business,” affiliate program TopBucks Marketing Manager Q Boyer told XBIZ. “The attacks are actually a threat to everybody — not just our industry. Yahoo, CNN, etc., have had outrages due to DDOS in the past. It’s potentially a threat to anybody and everybody.”

The attacks involve “multiple locations, computers, networks, botnets [and such] sending traffic to your sites en masse in an attempt to overwhelm your infrastructure,” according to Boyer, who noted that he received help from a tech in the company’s department of system administration who preferred to remain nameless.

One form of a DDOS attack that has raised recent speculation is DNS amplification, which involves the implementation of DNS servers in the attack. This form was used in the ISPrime attack. Rosenthal said the latest attack involved about 750,000 legitimate DNS servers.

Regardless of form, DDOS attacks remain a threat that is constantly evolving just like worms and viruses because “people come up with new varieties all the time,” Boyer said.

Whether or not the attacks will become more common remains open to speculation, and the attacks are widely considered difficult to battle, but Boyer, as well as a number of DNS experts, noted that one of the best defenses webmasters can take is having “a good relationship with your upstream provider. Many attacks are unique, and without the help of your upstream provider, there might not be much you can do. The upstream provider can help filter legitimate traffic from the attack traffic.”

Boyer adds that, “Having a lot of available (i.e. excess) bandwidth helps, for sure, and good technical redundancy across your network helps, too. But the best way to prevent the attacks is to avoid making enemies, as strange as that might sound.”

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Trial Set for Lawsuit by U Wisconsin Professor Fired Over Adult Content

A trial date of June 22, 2026, has been set for the civil lawsuit filed by veteran communications professor Joe Gow against the University of Wisconsin board of regents, which fired him for creating and appearing in adult content.

New UK Task Force Meets to Target Adult Content

The architect of an influential report that recommended banning adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic” has convened an “Independent Pornography Review task force” aimed at translating that report’s findings into action in the U.K.

11:11 Creations Launches Affiliate Program

11:11 Creations principal Alicia Silver has launched 11:11 Cash for creators and affiliates.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'Self Love' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers to develop self-love.

Show More