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This malicious flood of traffic is designed to cripple websites, online games, and even critical infrastructure.
In the worst cases, DDoS attacks can cause serious financial damage.
What is a DDoS attack?
A DDoS attack is a flood of internet traffic from many different machines.
When too many illegitimate requests flood the target, it can no longer process genuine traffic.
Nobody can connect while the flood of traffic is taking up all of the connection slots.
If that doesn’t seem that bad, think of how it’d play out in a brick-and-mortar store.
The attacking store hires a bunch of malicious shoppers to fill the store theyre targeting.
Eventually, it becomes apparent that a few of these shoppers are up to no good.
Some of the staff quit, others get worse at their job, and the whole operation falls apart.
The worst DDoS attacks are large-scale assaults involving millions of devices.
It takes up a huge chunk of time and puts the staff out of reach of legitimate customers.
They cost money, they disrupt commercial output, and they have real-world consequences.
It’s also a booming business for hackers.
Why do DDoS attacks happen?
The motivations behind DDoS attacks are as varied as the methods used to execute them.
The size, length, and intensity of a DDoS attack will also vary drastically depending on the perpetrator.
However, that doesn’t mean that there’s a direct correlation between the two.
TheMirai botnetwas built by just a few people and affected millions of Linux IoT devices worldwide.
GamersYou’re more likely to be the victim of a DDoS attack in situations when the lowest-stake attacks happen.
This makes your home IP a prime target for hackers but it’s not the end of the world.
Most ISPs will reconnect you on a different IP once you reset your router.
It’s inconvenient, but you’ll be back to browsing the internet again within minutes.
HacktivistsOf course, some conflicts are more than just personal vendettas.
DDoS attacks have a huge impact on today’s cyberwarfare and are stilla favorite tool of hacktivistsaround the world.
ExtortionistsNext up are the cybercriminals that use DDoS attacks as a form of blackmail or extortion.
Nation-state actorsOn a more serious level, DDoS attacks are frequently used in cyber warfare by nation-state actors.
So, it’s nigh impossible to figure out whos actually behind a DDoS attack.
How do DDoS attacks work?
That’s the “Denial of Service” part.
What makes DDoS really interesting is the Distributed part.
All DDoS attacks start with a botnet.
A “bot” is an internet-connected equipment that has been compromised by a hacker and infected with malware.
All DDoS attacks start with a botnet.
Think IoT devices: smart TVs, cameras, and even household appliances like fridges and thermostats.
So, a botnet is just a group of bots that a hacker can control.
The key to a successful DDoS attack is volume.
This flood of traffic overwhelms the target’s server or internet and results in a denial of service.
The hardest part of defending against a DDoS attack is distinguishing the legitimate traffic.
The hardest part of defending against a DDoS attack is distinguishing between legitimate and malicious traffic.
Botnets are usually composed of a wide range of regular internet devices from various locations around the planet.
Can a VPN help with DDoS attacks?
VPNs are must-have tools for all of us internet-dwelling folks and our guide tohow VPNs workis a jargon-free explainer.
However, it’s important to note that a VPN isnt a foolproof solution.
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services.
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