Dos and Donts of DDoS: Calm Down, Prevent Attacks, and Secure Your Website
Going Offline: Understanding and Defending Against DDoS Attacks
In the digital age, cybersecurity threats lurk around every corner. One of the more prevalent and potentially devastating attacks is the DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. So, what is a DDoS attack, and how can you safeguard your organization against this digital menace? Let's dive in and find out.
A Flood of Data: The Basics of DDoS Attacks
A DDoS attack aims to render a target system, such as a website or application, unavailable to its users. By using multiple compromised sources instead of just one, the attacker floods the target system with requests from numerous distributed machines. As a result, the system may become unresponsive or unavailable, wreaking havoc on the targeted organization.
It's essential to recognize that DDoS attacks are not uncommon. In fact, over one-third of organizations have reported experiencing a DDoS attack. If successful, the impact can be severe. An attack can last anywhere from a few hours to over a month, resulting in substantial loss of revenue for the targeted organization. For example, a 2020 attack on Amazon Web Services (AWS) lasted for three days, leading to significant revenue losses and reputational damage for the tech giant.
The Motives Behind DDoS Attacks
While the monetary gain from extortion is a common motive, it isn't the only reason for a DDoS attack. Other reasons include:
- Industrial Sabotage: Many victim organizations believe a rival company is responsible for the attack, using it as a means to temporarily shut down a competitor's website or application.
- Ransom Demands: In this scenario, the attacker causes a system shutdown and then requests a ransom from the organization to restore service.
- Political or Social Activism (Hacktivism): Groups like Anonymous often carry out DDoS attacks with politically or socially motivated purposes.
Different Types of DDoS Attacks
The types of attack carried out will often depend on the attack's primary purpose. Typically, DDoS attacks fall into one of three categories:
- Application-layer attacks: These occur when an attacker floods a specific application with repeated requests, eventually overwhelming it and causing the application to become unresponsive or unavailable to users.
- Volumetric attacks: In this case, the attacker sends multiple requests to DNS servers with the goal of exhausting the target server's bandwidth. This is often referred to as a DNS amplification attack.
- Protocol attacks: These aim to overload the resources of a server or its firewalls, routing engines, or load-balancers. For instance, a SYN flood attack involves an attacker bombarding the server with multiple SYN packets.
Protecting Your Organization from DDoS Attacks
While DDoS attacks are prevalent, they aren't always effective. Adopting the right preventative measures can significantly reduce the chances of a DDoS attack succeeding. Here are some of the most effective ways to protect your organization:
Utilize Scalable Resources
Using cloud hosting, such as Cloudways instead of a VPS solution, allows resources like RAM and bandwidth to be scaled on demand. This helps servers better withstand DDoS attacks.
Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A WAF protects against application vulnerabilities that might be exploited in a DDoS attack, enabling a server to distinguish between malicious and legitimate traffic and block the former.
Leverage a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN isn't just about speedy content delivery; it's also useful for filtering and restricting direct web traffic to ensure only legitimate users can access your infrastructure's sensitive parts, like your database servers. CDNs, such as Cloudflare, block an average of 124 billion DDoS threats per day.
Recognize the Warning Signs
Knowing what to look for and when to be concerned is crucial in preventing attacks. Warning signs might include intermittent crashes, slow loading pages, and on/off connectivity. Ensure your teams are aware of these signs so they know when to raise the alarm.
Create an Incident Response Plan
Even with preventative measures in place, a DDoS attack can still occur. Having a solid incident response plan in place helps you recover quickly when the worst happens, minimizing downtime and mitigating the impact on your organization's reputation and revenue.
By implementing these measures, you significantly reduce the chances of a DDoS attack succeeding. Remember, in the digital realm, being prepared is essential—an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Run for Cover: Further Reading
- What is DNS Hijacking? How Can You Detect and Prevent It
- 10 Most Common Cyber Security Threats and How to...
- 25 Frequently asked Cybersecurity Interview...
- 10 Best Web Application Firewalls (WAF) in 2025
- Phishing Attack Prevention: How to Phishing Scams...
- What is a Malicious URL | How do I block Malicious URLs?
- How To Build A Cybersecurity Strategy For 2025
Coding can play a crucial role in defending against DDoS attacks by implementing solutions like Web Application Firewalls (WAF) that protect against application vulnerabilities. Moreover, understanding data-and-cloud-computing technologies, such as Content Delivery Networks (CDN), can aid in preventing DDoS attacks and improving system resilience, as CDNs like Cloudflare block an average of 124 billion DDoS threats per day.
