Sciextor

DDOS

DDOS stands for distributed denial-of-service, and it is a type of cyberattack where the attacker uses multiple compromised devices, such as computers or IoT devices, to send a large amount of traffic to a target server, service, or network.

The goal of the attacker is to overwhelm the target’s resources and bandwidth, making it slow or unavailable for legitimate users. DDOS attacks can cause disruption, damage, or loss of revenue for the target and its users.

Some statistics on DDOS are

• DDOS attacks are one of the most common and dangerous types of cyberattacks today, as they can affect any online service or website
• According to a 2020 report by NETSCOUT, there were over 10 million DDOS attacks in 2020, an increase of 20% from 2019
• According to the same report, the average DDOS attack size in 2020 was 1.13 Gbps, and the largest attack recorded was 1.44 Tbps
• According to a 2020 report by Cloudflare, the most targeted industries by DDOS attacks in 2020 were gaming, gambling, and hosting
• According to a 2020 report by Kaspersky Lab, the most targeted countries by DDOS attacks in Q3 2020 were China, the United States, and Hong Kong
• DDOS attacks are a serious threat that requires protection and mitigation from service providers and users.

What can you do

Know your network’s traffic: You should monitor your network’s normal traffic patterns and behavior, so that you can detect any anomalies or spikes that may indicate a DDOS attack. You can use tools like network analyzers, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems to help you with this task

Create a Denial of Service Response Plan: You should have a clear and documented plan on how to respond to a DDOS attack, including who is responsible for what, how to communicate with your team and your customers, and what steps to take to mitigate the attack and restore your services. You should also test your plan regularly and update it as needed

Make your network resilient: You should design your network architecture to be able to handle high volumes of traffic and to distribute the load across multiple servers or locations. You can use techniques like load balancing, caching, and content delivery networks to improve your network’s performance and availability

Practice good cyber hygiene: You should keep your systems and devices updated with the latest security patches and software versions, and use strong passwords and encryption to protect your data. You should also educate your employees and users about the risks of DDOS attacks and how to avoid becoming part of a botnet, which is a network of compromised devices that hackers use to launch DDOS attacks

Scale up your bandwidth: You should have enough bandwidth to handle your normal traffic and some extra capacity to absorb a DDOS attack. You can use cloud-based services or providers that offer scalable and flexible bandwidth options to meet your needs

Take advantage of anti-DDOS hardware and software: You should use specialized devices or applications that can detect and filter out malicious traffic before it reaches your network or server. You can use solutions like routers, switches, firewalls, proxies, or scrubbing centers that can block or redirect DDOS traffic to a different location. You can also use services like Cloudflare, which can provide DDOS protection and mitigation for your website or web application