Method and system for detecting encrypted flood attacks

Abstract

A system and method for detecting HTTPS flood cyber-attacks. A method includes deriving traffic features from incoming traffic directed to a protected entity; determining if the derived traffic features represent at least one traffic anomaly, wherein the traffic anomaly is a deviation from at least one baseline, wherein the baseline is a normal distribution of traffic features of legitimate incoming traffic; upon determining that the derived traffic features represent at least one anomaly, determining if the anomaly characterizes an on-going HTTPS flood cyber-attack; upon determining that there is the on-going HTTPS flood cyber-attack, populating a list of suspect source internet protocol (IP) addresses of devices triggered detection of the anomaly; challenging each device in the list of suspect source IP addresses to determine if a challenged device is an attack tool; and causing execution of a mitigation action on each client device determined to be an attack tool.