DDoS in SDN: a review of open datasets, attack vectors and mitigation strategies

Abstract

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks pose a significant threat to Software Defined Networking (SDN) and are frequently employed by malicious actors. SDN has emerged as a prominent networking paradigm, providing users with a decoupled control and data plane, which grants greater control and programmability over the network. In comparison to traditional networks, SDN offers dynamic, agile, cost-effective, and manageable solutions. However, a notable drawback of SDN is that the central controller becomes a vulnerable attack surface, rendering it susceptible to complete network takeover through DDoS attacks. The novelty of this paper is to gather resources that will be used to mitigate DDoS attacks in SDN environments. This paper focuses on the exploration of open datasets featuring DDoS attacks, as well as examining attack detection and mitigation techniques and frameworks. By analyzing various detection and mitigation strategies, network administrators and security professionals can make informed decisions to enhance the robustness and resilience of SDN environments in the face of evolving DDoS threats.