What is a DDoS Attack?
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack floods a target with traffic from multiple sources, making it unavailable to legitimate users. Think of it as thousands of people trying to enter a store simultaneously - no one gets in.
Types of DDoS
| Type | Target | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Volumetric | Bandwidth | UDP flood, ICMP flood |
| Protocol | Server resources | SYN flood, Ping of Death |
| Application | Web server | HTTP flood, Slowloris |
Common Attack Tools
Botnets
Most DDoS attacks use botnets - networks of compromised devices (computers, IoT devices) controlled by attackers. Millions of devices can be weaponized.
Protection Strategies
- CDN services - Cloudflare, Akamai absorb attacks
- Rate limiting - Limit requests per IP
- Web Application Firewall - Filter malicious traffic
- Anycast network - Distribute traffic globally
- Overprovision bandwidth - Handle surge capacity
Legal Note
DDoS is a Crime
Launching DDoS attacks is illegal in most countries. Penalties include heavy fines and imprisonment.