Laws Can't Save Banks From DDoS Attacks

The co-author of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) ought to know better.

Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who is also chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC News on Wednesday that the Operation Ababil bank disruption campaign run by al-Qassam Cyber Fighters could be stopped, if only private businesses had unfettered access to top-flight U.S. government threat intelligence. Currently the federal government is "trying to share cyber threat information with these banks to help them get ahead of these attacks," Rogers said. "Unfortunately, a series of policy and legal barriers is impeding that cooperation, as well as slowing down cooperation within the private sector and making it less effective."

The problem with that reasoning is that the bank disruptions -- often publicized in advance by attackers -- overwhelm targeted networks through sheer quantities of packets. They don't employ attacks of a stealthy or unknown nature that banks might have difficulty spotting if only they had access to better attack data.

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