This talk will examine the tools, methods and data behind the DDoS attacks that are prevalent in the news headlines. Using collected information, the presentation will demonstrate what the attackers are using to cause their mischief & mayhem, and examine the timeline and progression of attackers as they move from the historical page defacers to the motivated DDoS attacker. We will look at their motivations and rationale and try to give you some sort of understanding of what patterns to be aware of for your own protection.