A High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC) is an open-source network stress testing tool similar to the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC). The use of both tools for launching DoS attacks and DDoS attacks was popularized in recent years by the hacktivist group Anonymous. Unlike a LOIC, a HOIC can cause denial-of-service (DoS) attacks through the use of HTTP floods. It was designed to improve upon several LOIC application flaws, including detection and firepower. HOIC uses booster scripts that let perpetrators scatter attack traffic and hide their geolocation. This differs from a LOIC, which is not capable of obfuscating attacker IP addresses. An individual HOIC user can launch a significant number of junk requests at a given time, and as few as 50 perpetrators can execute a successful DDoS attack. This is also different from a LOIC, which requires thousands of users to coordinate and launch an attack.
The HOIC tool was designed to replace the LOIC tool, which was developed by Praetox Technologies and later released into the public domain. The HOIC was developed during the conclusion of Operation Payback by the hacktivist collective Anonymous. As Operation Payback concluded, there was massive pressure on the group from law enforcement agencies, which captured and prosecuted more than 13 individuals connected with the group. This forced many group members to rethink their strategies and launch Operation Leakspin. However, a large part of Anonymous remained focused on launching opt-in DDoS attacks during this time. The HOIC tool was designed to remedy this with the ability to cause an HTTP Flood with limited actors needed to launch an attack.
The HOIC tool can attack as many as 256 URLs at the same time by flooding a target server with TCP, UDP or HTTP packets with the goal of disruption. The HOIC was designed to improve upon several LOIC application flaws, including detection and firepower. A HOIC uses booster scripts that let perpetrators scatter attack traffic and hide their geolocation. This differs from a LOIC, which is not capable of obfuscating attacker IP addresses. An individual HOIC user can launch a significant number of junk requests at a given time with limited numbers for a successful DDoS attack. This is also different from a LOIC, which requires thousands of users to coordinate and launch an attack. The term "high orbit" refers to the tool's ability to cause DoS attacks through the use of HTTP floods, unlike its "low-orbiting" cousin, the LOIC.
High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC) and Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC) are both open-source network stress testing and denial-of-service attack applications. However, there are several key differences between the two tools. HOIC was designed to improve upon several LOIC application flaws, including detection and firepower. HOIC uses booster scripts that let perpetrators scatter attack traffic and hide their geolocation. This differs from LOIC, which isn’t capable of obfuscating attacker IP addresses. An individual HOIC user can launch a significant number of junk requests at a given time. This differs from LOIC, which requires thousands of users to coordinate and launch an attack. Additionally, HOIC can cause DoS using HTTP floods, unlike LOIC.
Typical indications of a HOIC attack include a sudden increase in traffic to a targeted server, service or network, often accompanied by a slowdown or disruption of normal operations. To defend against HOIC attacks, it is recommended to implement robust cybersecurity practices such as firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and DDoS protection services. A comprehensive DDoS protection plan which includes a web application firewall (WAF) offers a strong defense against layer 7 attacks such as those launched by the HOIC.
It is important for businesses and organizations to understand the High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC) tool, its capabilities, and how it differs from the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC). HOIC is a network stress testing tool related to LOIC. The use of both for launching DDoS attacks was popularized in recent years by the hacktivist group Anonymous. Unlike the LOIC, this tool is able to cause DoS through the use of HTTP floods. It was designed to improve upon several LOIC application flaws, including detection and firepower. HOIC uses booster scripts that let perpetrators scatter attack traffic and hide their geolocation. This differs from LOIC, which isn’t capable of obfuscating attacker IP addresses. An individual HOIC user can launch a significant number of junk requests at a given time—as few as 50 perpetrators can execute a successful DDoS attack. This differs from LOIC, which requires thousands of users to coordinate and launch an attack. Understanding these differences is important for businesses and organizations to effectively defend against potential attacks from both tools.
These attacks can have a significant impact on the targeted organizations, disrupting their services and causing financial losses. To mitigate or prevent HOIC attacks, security experts have suggested that well-written firewall rules can filter out most traffic from DDoS attacks by HOIC, thus preventing the attacks from being fully effective. In at least one instance, filtering out all UDP and ICMP traffic blocked a HOIC attack. It is important for businesses and organizations to take proactive measures to protect themselves against potential HOIC attacks and to maintain a strong security posture to defend against other types of cyberthreats.