Active Response to Computer Intrusions

Abstract

Victims of hacker attacks are increasingly adopting an "active defense" against Internet-based attacks. Instead of adopting purely defensive measures, many victims are opting for active countermeasures that are no less aggressive than the attacks themselves. For example, victims of denial of service (DoS) attacks sometimes respond by redirecting incoming packets back to their sources instead of by dropping the packets at the router; such a measure is intended to induce the cessation of the attack by overloading the network from which it is staged. This essay examines some of the technical, ethical, and legal issues associated with active intrusion response.

Keywords: active defense, counterhacking, hacking back, self-defense, hacking