FAQ About Understanding the Basics of Cybersecurity

A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack is a type of cyberattack in which an attacker attempts to overwhelm a system, network, or website with a flood of traffic or requests from multiple sources, making it unavailable to its intended users. Unlike a traditional DoS attack, which is launched from a single source, a DDoS attack involves a network of compromised computers or "zombies" that are controlled by the attacker.

DDoS attacks can take many forms, including using botnets to flood a network with traffic, exploiting vulnerabilities in network protocols or software, or using amplification techniques to multiply the amount of traffic being sent to the target. DDoS attacks can be difficult to defend against because the traffic comes from multiple sources, making it harder to filter or block.

DDoS attacks can have significant consequences for organizations, including loss of revenue, reputational damage, and disruption of critical services. Protecting against DDoS attacks requires a combination of prevention and response measures. Prevention measures include implementing firewalls and intrusion detection systems, patching known vulnerabilities, and monitoring network traffic for signs of DDoS activity. Response measures include identifying and isolating affected systems, filtering malicious traffic, and working with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and law enforcement agencies to mitigate the attack.