Call centers under attack in targeted cyber-blackmail scheme

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has cautioned public-safety call centers against the rise of so-called telephony denial of service (TDoS) attacks, which it says have the potential to cripple local telephone exchanges. The warning was issued in March in a confidential Situational Awareness Update that was obtained …

[Kaltern]

Bit late?

Isn't that pushing April Fool jokes a bit too close to the next day? People might actually take this seriously :P

[Wzrd1]

Re: Bit late?

Except that The Register cannot post articles on US government websites.

I checked the URL's and the story appears valid.

It's been valid since January 7.

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't need a DDoS attack

Just put my wife on the phone.......

[jukejoint]

it's been going on for at least the last 5 years or so ---

and yes it's a pain and becoming more so.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: it's been going on for at least the last 5 years or so ---

Given that telco's can track call origin (they have to for emergency service and legal intercept reasons) I'd like to know why it takes so long to grab these people by the parts that hurt..

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: it's been going on for at least the last 5 years or so ---

because telcos are NOT the victim, it's their clients. If they were... well, then obviously they'd be able to track and block by lunchtime. same business day. But to achieve the impossible business would need a strong incentive, like losing money, or a pesky judge shitting on them (v. Apple case ;)

[Phil O'Sophical]

Re: it's been going on for at least the last 5 years or so ---

Shitting from a great height upon cold-callers (whether DDoS or just nuisance) would be a far better use of judges' time than dealing with phone manufacturers suing each other over the shape of their corners.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: it's been going on for at least the last 10 years or so ---

Since mid 2002.

[Anonymous Coward]

The DHS?

Ohhh this is the same department that works for George Bush and his oil men buddies....

I bet the several million dead in the middle east will be glad to hear of this good advice.

[JaitcH]

HSBC Call Centre sweatshops manage this already ...

by simply employing less than intelligent operators who take their sweet time in answering.

And they refuse written communications as deniability is not possible.

Wonder what sort of service standards the Mexican Laundry Service managed to maintain?

As for 'tracing' calls, all digital calls for over 15-20 years include all information needed including the call originator.

[Alan Brown]

Re: HSBC Call Centre sweatshops manage this already ...

"As for 'tracing' calls, all digital calls for over 15-20 years include all information needed including the call originator."

Yes, but..... the SS7 system assumes that everyone along the chain is trustworthy. There's even less concept of security in the world's phone switching network than there is in BGP. It only takes one bad actor to screw things up - and it's pretty clear there is way more than one bad actor with access to international routing systems.