Protection of Naval Computers from Denial-of-Service Attacks

Flaws that exist in the architecture of networked systems that were once confined to small trusted groups are now being exposed by the interconnection of diverse networks to users of dubious intentions. The technical knowledge to prevent denial- of-service attacks to a wide range of operating systems is beyond most system administrators. Therefore, a taxonomy of service vulnerabilities that includes risk-potential, degree of compromise, motive, and methods to reduce risk without reducing service utility for multiple operating systems is needed. This taxonomy will serve as a guide to administrators as well as be the basis for the development of an intelligent filter to dynamically prevent denial-of-service attacks without over- isolating a network.