What Is a “Distributed Denial-Of-Service” (DDoS) Attack? 

For those who are not familiar, a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack (DDoS) attack is a type of malicious activity that involves flooding a server or network with incoming internet traffic.  A frequent type of attack that allows criminals to affect the accessibility of internet services. Typically, it entails using maliciously infected, remotely exploited workstations. They are under the authority of hackers to send commands over the internet to overwhelm target network servers.  

Whom Did It Affect? 

The technology giant’s core cloud computing platform, Azure, as well as applications like OneDrive and Outlook email services, were impacted. Microsoft provides a wide range of cloud-based services. So, the attack may have had an effect on millions of its clients globally. Though the company hasn’t yet disclosed the full scope of the interruption. 

People Responsible for Attack 

When the incident first occurred, the cyber collective Anonymous Sudan claimed responsibility, and Microsoft still holds that group responsible. Microsoft made a few comments about the issue at the time.  But in a post over the weekend, it confirmed that distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks were to blame. 

After the disruption, Microsoft claimed it had started monitoring behavior by the threat actor, which it had called Storm-1359 using a naming scheme it uses for groups while inquiries are in progress. It was further said that “the offender appears to be focused on disruption and publicity”. 

Anonymous Sudan first appeared at the start of this year. They claimed to target countries that interfere in Sudanese affairs or advance anti-Muslim ideologies. The group’s alleged affiliation with the pro-Kremlin hacking collective Killnet. Several security specialists, however, support the allegation that the group’s position on Sudan is essentially a lie.

Even while more information about the incident may still surface, the fact that Microsoft was unable to handle a DDoS attack may be the most worrisome. 

Conclusion – How Does Microsoft Defend Against DDoS Attacks on Its Azure Servers Then? 

According to Microsoft, the increase in attacks is due to the abundance of low-cost DDoS-for-hire services, which may tempt hackers to take down servers. Microsoft’s own Azure DDoS Protection team prevents the attacks. All Azure servers and all Microsoft assets are safeguarded by this team. Azure DDoS Protection features application layer protection, continuous monitoring, automatic network attack mitigation, and cutting-edge intelligence that can recognize traffic patterns over time. 

In conclusion, Microsoft is continuously striving for better results and safeguarding the interest of the users and wants the user to be aware of the same.   

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Simplify and accelerate the tracking and review of data between partners throughout your workflow by instantly sharing data and logic over an immutable shared network. Implement Azure’s three-tier blockchain approach to build your consortium network, simplify management and administration, and integrate your blockchain solution with the systems and tools you use today.

Successful Blockchain Using Azure’s Proven Three-Pronged Approach

Here we have 3 steps:

STEP 1: Start and manage your networks

STEP 2: Model your smart contracts

STEP 3: Creating and extending the blockchain application

Become familiar with Azure blockchain items and administrations:

1. Azure Blockchain Service:

Azure Blockchain Service is a completely overseen bookkeeping administration that empowers clients to develop and work blockchain networks at scale on Azure. By giving bound together control to find the executives and blockchain network the board, Azure Blockchain Service gives: 

• Direct association game plan and exercises 
• Inalienable consortium the board 
• Make insightful concurrences with normal headway instruments

2. Azure Blockchain Workbench:

With Azure Blockchain Workbench, arrange and send a consortium network with only a couple of clicks. Ideal for dev/test investigation, Blockchain Workbench’s programmed record sending, network development, and pre-constructed blockchain orders incredibly decrease framework advancement time.

3. Azure Blockchain Development Chain:

To convey start to finish blockchain answers for consortiums, engineers need to empower associations, individuals, and gadgets to interface with the blockchain and do it from a heterogeneous arrangement of UIs. 

Take for instance a start to finish store network for awareness, for example, cocoa. 

• SMS and voice interfaces empower little hold ranchers in Africa to execute and follow their products at the principal mile of the inventory network. 

• Web of Things (IoT) gadgets convey sensor information to follow the states of the merchandise at various focuses in their excursion to advertise – following the moistness in the holders where the beans are held to the temperature of the finished result of frozen yogurt that it is fused into. 

• Portable customers empower coordination suppliers to acknowledge and move obligation regarding items on their excursion from maker to retail utilizing the registered power that as of now exists in the pockets of its representatives. Cell phones likewise have sensors, for example, GPS and cameras that can add correlative information that can help confirm the what, where, and when of conveyances. 

• Backend Systems and Data as ERP frameworks, for example, Dynamics and SAP are utilized to oversee center cycles for various members. These frameworks additionally become customers through expansion and need to associate with shrewd agreements to give and get attestable information in the interest of an association. 

• Bots and aides empower makers and retailers to connect with the inventory network. This incorporates connecting with brilliant agreements for requests and provenance utilizing common language and utilizing attestable information from the blockchain to coordinate activities taken in the interest of a client. 

• Web customers empower end buyers to question the source of the item bought at retail, commonly a blend of provenance and story of the excursion of their item from “homestead to fork”

Architectures for Azure Blockchain solutions:

Finding out how blockchain technology, including Ethereum networks, works to protect your data and digitize your workflows in these illustrated architectural scenarios.

Azure Blockchain Service:

1. The establishment for blockchain applications in the cloud:

Fabricate, oversee, and extend blockchain networks at scale. Sky blue Blockchain Service Preview disentangles the arrangement, the executives, and administration of consortium blockchain networks so you can zero in on business rationale and application advancement.

2. Basic blockchain network organization and tasks:

Make and design consortium blockchain foundation rapidly and offload network the executives while keeping up the capacity to refresh over the long haul.

3. Simple blockchain information distributing 

Construct start to finish arrangements utilizing blockchain information chief. Get adaptable, solid, and versatile information streaming and application mix with a couple of snaps. Screen your savvy contracts, respond to exchanges and occasions, and stream on-tie information to off-chain information stores.

4. Underlying consortium the board 

Get the full hub of the board and oversee consortia at scale. Secluded controls give simple part onboarding, codeless permissioning, and streamlined approach implementation.

5. Open and extensible plan 

Construct blockchain applications with certainty on an open, adaptable stage that incorporates the dev instruments, information sources, and applications you as of now use.

Blockchain workflow application:

Companies use blockchain to digitize workflows they share with other organizations, such as moving physical assets through supply chains. The anatomy of blockchain applications is similar in use cases. Here, we utilize Azure Blockchain Service as the key overseeing blockchain organization and make a consortium application that can take signals from the important UIs and impart record information to shopper applications in the consortium.

Data Flow:

• Applicable applications, gadgets, and information sources send occasions or information to a messaging intermediary (Azure Service Bus). 

• The conveyed record innovation (DLT) customer Logic App brings the information from the Service Bus and ships off-exchange manufacturers which assembles and signs the exchange. 

• The marked exchange gets directed to Azure Blockchain Service (completely oversaw Ethereum consortium organization) through a record explicit Logic App connector. 

• The blockchain information chief catches squares and exchanges information from arranged exchange hubs, translates occasions and properties, and afterward sends the information to designed objections. 

• Message intermediary sends record information to burning-through business applications and off-chain data sets. 

• Data is investigated and envisioned utilizing devices, for example, Power BI by interfacing with off-chain data sets.

Conclusion: 

How about we take a gander at what the future resembles in the Microsoft vision for blockchain innovation. Coming soon, the Microsoft Confidential Consortium (Coco) Framework is an open-source framework that empowers high-scale, classified blockchain networks that meet all key endeavor necessities for privacy, administration, and execution, and simultaneously give away to quicken creation undertaking appropriation of blockchain innovation.

Author Bio:

I’m Srija Kalavala, a fascinated Technical Content writer currently working at Mindmajix. Interested to know about technology updates. I Can write an article on the following technologies Database Management, Cloud Computing, Business Intelligence and Analytics, Cyber Security and SIEM Tools, etc. Get connected with me on Linkedin

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