A practical approach to detection of distributed denial-of-service attacks using a hybrid detection method. (January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bojović, P.D.; Bašičević, I.; Ocovaj, S.; Popović, M.
• Is Part Of: Computers & electrical engineering. Volume 73(2019)
• Page Start: 84
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2019-01
• Subjects: Network security -- Denial of service attack -- Exponential weighted moving average -- CUSUM -- Packet entropy; Computer engineering -- Periodicals; Electrical engineering -- Periodicals; Electrical engineering -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Ordinateurs -- Conception et construction -- Périodiques; Électrotechnique -- Périodiques; Électrotechnique -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Computer engineering; Electrical engineering; Electrical engineering -- Data processing; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 621.302854
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compeleceng.2018.11.004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-7906

Abstract

Abstract: This paper presents a hybrid method for the detection of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that combines feature-based and volume-based detection. Our approach is based on an exponential moving average algorithm for decision-making, applied to both entropy and packet number time series. The approach has been tested by performing a controlled DDoS experiment in a real academic network. The network setup and test scenarios including both high-rate and low-rate attacks are described in the paper. The performance of the proposed method is compared to the performance of two methods that are already known in the literature. One is based on the counting of SYN packets and is used for detection of SYN flood attacks, while the other is based on a CUSUM algorithm applied to the entropy time series. The results show the advantage of our approach compared to methods that are based on either entropy or number of packets only.