This presentation takes a real-world look at DoS attacks, concentrating on those launched in relation to Internet Relay Chat (IRC). We will cover the psychology of those who launch DoS attacks, the tools and methods they use, and our successes with tracking and prosecution of these individuals. Additionally, we will cover our tried-and-tested methods of observing, tracking, and defending against these attacks. Finally, we will focus on the effects of these attacks on nearby machines and network infrastructure.

About the Authors
Karthik Arumugham has been a Network Engineer at Global NAPs in Quincy, MA for one year, and has been with the company as a Systems Engineer and Software Developer for two years. He has several years of experience in Unix administration, system and network security, and software development.

Steven Schecter has been a Backbone Engineer at companies such as AboveNet Communications (MFNX), and now presently Globix Corporation in New York City. Previous to that he spent two years working as a Network Engineer and Systems Administrator for Net Access Corporation.

Jason Slagle has four years experience as Network Administrator at Toledo Internet Access in Toledo, OH. Currently holding his CCNP/CCDP certifications, he is seeking his CCIE and Cisco specialization in security.

Both Karthik and Jason individually administer multiple servers on the DALnet Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network, and have a special interest in the Denial of Service attacks which are commonly associated with IRC. Jason is the head of the Exploits team and the Coding team, and Karthik is a member of both teams. Steven assists with the functioning of IRC servers on DALnet, Undernet, and EFnet.