Dos Thresholds; Threshold Values; Half-Open Sessions - ZyXEL Communications P-870HW-I Series User Manual

P-870HW-I1 User's Guide
In general, services are consist of two parts. First, each service has one or two IP protocol
types (for example, TCP, UDP, or TCP/UDP). Second, each service has one or more port
numbers. Together, these parts define the service. See
services.

11.1.6 DoS Thresholds

For DoS attacks, the ZyXEL Device uses thresholds to determine when to drop sessions that
do not become fully established. These thresholds apply globally to all sessions.
You can use the default threshold values, or you can change them to values more suitable to
your security requirements.

11.1.6.1 Threshold Values

Tune these parameters when something is not working and after you have checked the firewall
counters. These default values should work fine for most small offices. Factors influencing
choices for threshold values are:
• The maximum number of opened sessions.
• The minimum capacity of server backlog in your LAN network.
• The CPU power of servers in your LAN network.
• Network bandwidth.
• Type of traffic for certain servers.
If your network is slower than average for any of these factors (especially if you have servers
that are slow or handle many tasks and are often busy), then the default values should be
reduced.
You should make any changes to the threshold values before you continue configuring
firewall rules.

11.1.6.2 Half-Open Sessions

An unusually high number of half-open sessions (either an absolute number or measured as
the arrival rate) could indicate that a Denial of Service attack is occurring. For TCP, "half-
open" means that the session has not reached the established state-the TCP three-way
handshake has not yet been completed. For UDP, "half-open" means that the firewall has
detected no return traffic.
The ZyXEL Device measures both the total number of existing half-open sessions and the rate
of session establishment attempts. Both TCP and UDP half-open sessions are counted in the
total number and rate measurements. Measurements are made once a minute.
150
Appendix I on page 431
Chapter 11 Firewalls
for examples of