What Is a DDoS Attack?

The IT industry has experienced a sudden rise in DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacksA DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the regular functioning of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of illegitimate traffic. in recent years. These attacks can be likened to unexpected traffic jams in the real world because both involve overwhelming a system or infrastructure, causing disruptions and inconveniences for individuals or organizations.

Occurrences of DDoS attacks highly impact large companies and government agencies, such as those targeting police services, and universities, highlighting the severity and broad reach of these attacks. We can see the global trend of these attacks below.

DDoS attacks can be very advanced, and it can be very difficult to stop them. But what exactly is a DDoS attack? It’s a cybercrime in which the hacker floods an organization’s server with internet traffic so that their users are unable to access connected online services and sites. All these things impact the availability and functionality of the targeted systems.

Finding a solution to identify a DDoS attack isn’t a straightforward task. The reason is that many indicators are similar to what our regular users encounter every day, including slow upload or download performance speeds, dropped internet connection, and so on.

Different types of attacks target different parts of a network and are classified according to the TCP/IP layers they target. The DDoS attacks don’t last forever, and many end after a couple of days. If an organization has been the victim of an attack, it should upgrade its security protection as soon as it can.

According to the Cisco Annual Internet Report (2018–2023), the global trend of DDoS attacks is increasing rapidly. The ...