Analysis of the effects of distributed denial-of-service attacks on MPLS networks

Modern critical infrastructures such as the power grid are frequently targeted by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Unlike traditional information and communications systems, where the effects of DDoS attacks are mostly limited to the cyber realm, disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure assets can result in the loss of vital services such as transportation and health care. This paper evaluates the effect of disruptive DDoS attacks on multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks that provide communications services to many large-scale critical infrastructure assets. The experimental results provide insights into architectural configurations that can increase network resilience without the need to incorporate additional hardware and software.