DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack:
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack: Overwhelming a server with traffic to prevent legitimate users…
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack: Overwhelming a server with traffic to prevent legitimate users from accessing a network, site, or system.
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt a server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of Internet traffic from multiple compromised systems (a botnet). Unlike DoS, which uses one machine, DDoS uses many, making it hard to stop.
Key Aspects of DDoS Attacks:
Mechanism: Attackers use malware to create a “botnet” of infected IoT devices, computers, and servers to send massive, simultaneous requests to a target, exhausting its resources.
Common Usage Examples & Types:
- Volumetric Attacks: Flooding network bandwidth (e.g., DNS Amplification, UDP floods).
- Protocol Attacks: Consuming server resources (e.g., SYN floods, Ping of Death).
- Application Layer Attacks: Targeting specific website functions (e.g., HTTP floods).
- “Low and Slow” Attacks: Sending small amounts of traffic slowly to keep a server busy without triggering defenses.
- Synonyms/Related Terms: Volumetric attack, Botnet attack, Flood attack, Network exhaustion attack, Application-layer attack.
- Impact: Causes service outages, reduced performance, financial losses, and reputational damage.
DDoS attacks can last for hours or days, targeting infrastructure to disrupt operations for extortion, hacktivism, or competitive gain.
