A Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS attack) is a targeted attack on a server, service, or network designed to disable these systems. The attacker uses many different computers or devices to overwhelm the systems with a flood of traffic. These devices are often hijacked through malware and combined into what is known as a botnet. Once the botnet is activated, the infected devices simultaneously send requests to the target system.
The goal of the DDoS attack is to render the server or website unusable by overloading the available memory or bandwidth. As a result, legitimate users can no longer access the services. These are often malicious actions by hackers who may act for various reasons: from revenge to extortion or political activism.
A DDoS attack is an advanced form of Denial of Service attack (DoS). In a DoS attack, only a single computer or internet connection attacks the target system. While a DoS attack can also crash a system, its impact is often less devastating due to the attacker’s limited resources. Nevertheless, well-executed DoS attacks can cause significant damage.
DDoS attacks, however, are more dangerous because the multitude of devices involved generates a significantly higher load. This makes it more difficult to identify the origin of the attack and defend against it.
Companies deploy specialized protective measures such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and cloud-based services to protect themselves against DDoS attacks. These systems detect unusual traffic and block malicious requests before they reach the target system. Continuous monitoring of network traffic is also an important measure to respond early to potential attacks.
