What is a DDoS attack and how to protect against it?

17.04.2023
Data security

What is a DDoS attack and how to protect against it?

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is an attack that uses a large number of computers (called a botnet) to simultaneously send a large number of requests to a single server. As a consequence of the attack, the server (or network) is slowed down and in some cases stops working.

What is the difference between volumetric and application layer attacks? What are the consequences of a DDoS attack for companies? What tools and solutions are available to protect against cyberattacks? Be sure to read and update your knowledge!

  • How is a volumetric attack different from an application layer attack?
  • Consequences of a DDoS attack.
  • How to protect networks and servers?

DDoS attack – volumetric or application layer? How do cybercriminals operate?

In the age of modern technology, cyber attacks pose a serious threat to networks and servers. Knowing the differences between types of attacks can help individuals and organizations better protect sensitive information.

A volumetric attack is a type of cyberattack that attempts to overload the capacity of a network or server with excessive data traffic. To carry out a volumetric attack, the attacker sends huge amounts of traffic from multiple sources at once. This technique allows the attacker to easily overload the system under attack and cause it to crash.

The most common types of volumetric attacks include UDP flood, ICMP flood, SYN flood and DNS amplification attacks.

An application-layer attack, on the other hand, is a type of cyberattack that targets the protocol used to exchange data between two computer systems. These attacks are designed to breach application security measures and can be very damaging. Application layer invasions exploit security vulnerabilities in applications such as web browsers, email programs and online chat tools. They also exploit weaknesses in software design or code execution to take control of systems, gain access to sensitive information or cause system crashes.

Attackers use sophisticated techniques such as buffer overflow, cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection and malicious code injection to launch attacks. In addition, attackers can use social engineering tactics such as phishing emails or malicious links embedded in websites to gain access to user credentials and other sensitive information.

To summarize: Volumetric attacks focus on overloading a network or server with malicious traffic, while application-layer attacks target applications such as web browsers or e-mail programs.

“How can a DDoS attack harm my business?”

Companies may be affected in a number of negative ways, including:

  • Financial losses: An attack can cause business downtime, leading to lost revenue and costs associated with repairing damaged hardware or software.
  • Loss of reputation: customers lose confidence in the company and will move their business to competitors.
  • Risk of data loss: DDoS attacks often serve as a “distraction” before a hacking attack aimed at stealing personal or sensitive information.
  • Increasing maintenance costs: Companies must increase their security spending to prevent future cyber attacks.
  • Loss of customers: A DDoS attack causes a loss of service availability, which means the loss of customers who may not return after the service is repaired.
  • Increased network load: can overload the company’s network, which can lead to problems with the operation of other applications and services.
  • Communication disruption: A DDoS attack can prevent access to email, instant messaging and other communication tools, making it difficult for employees and customers to communicate.

How do you protect yourself from a DDoS attack? TOP 10 ways to fight cyber criminals

Protecting against network attacks is crucial for any organization that wants to keep its online services running. There are various ways to protect against such attacks, including:

  1. Access control: Setting rules for access to online services allows you to limit the number of people who can exploit them. This increases the difficulty for attackers, who will have to go through multiple steps to gain access to services.
  2. Scaling: infrastructure scaling allows for flexible customization of resources, which means you can quickly increase computing power as needed.
  3. DDoS protection services: companies that specialize in protecting against DDoS attacks offer solutions to effectively block attacks before they reach the server. Click: https://ith.eu/ and ask what solutions we can prepare for you!
  4. Monitoring: Regular monitoring of network traffic allows you to detect alarming signals, such as a sudden increase in the number of requests to the server, so you can react quickly.
  5. Firewall: A firewall is a network traffic filtering tool that allows you to block unwanted connections. The firewall can be configured to block connections coming from specific IP addresses or networks.
  6. Software updates: Regular software updates enhance system security by fixing security vulnerabilities.
  7. Account protection: Account protection involves the use of strong passwords and two-step authentication to increase the difficulty for attackers trying to access accounts.
  8. Protecting the application layer: The application layer is often the target of attacks, so it is important to protect it from attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
  9. Communication protection: Communication protection involves using encryption for network traffic to prevent unauthorized people from intercepting and reading transmitted data.
  10. Virtualization: virtual ization allows for the isolation of applications and data, which increases the difficulty for attackers trying to

To sum up: By taking proper precautions, you can effectively protect against DDoS attacks and ensure the continuity of online services.