DOS and DDOS attacks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

In the world of computing, there are many different types of attacks that can be launched against networks and systems. Two of the most well-known types are the Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. While both types of attacks are designed to disrupt the availability of a service or network, they differ in terms of their origin and methods of execution. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the two types of attacks and explore the ways in which they can be mitigated.

A DoS attack is an attack that is launched from a single computer or device. The attacker floods the target service or network with a large number of requests or packets, which overloads the system and prevents legitimate users from accessing it. One example of a simple DoS attack is known as a “ping of death” in which an attacker sends a malformed packet that exceeds the maximum packet size that a network protocol can handle. This can cause the targeted device to crash.

DDoS attacks, on the other hand, are launched from a network of compromised computers, which are often infected with malware and controlled remotely by the attacker. This network of compromised computers is known as a “botnet.” With the help of a botnet, an attacker can launch a much larger and more powerful attack than would be possible with a single computer. Because the attack traffic is coming from multiple sources, it can be more difficult to block and can cause more damage. Common methods used in DDoS attacks include UDP floods, SYN floods and HTTP floods.

While these types of attacks can be devastating for organizations that rely on the availability of their online services, there are a number of ways to mitigate the risk of a DoS or DDoS attack. One way is to implement rate limiting, which is a technique that limits the number of requests or packets that can be sent to a service or network in a given period of time. Another way is to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which can distribute the load of an attack over multiple servers.

In conclusion, DoS and DDoS attacks can have a severe impact on the availability of online services, but there are ways to protect yourself. To keep your networks and systems safe, it’s important to stay informed about the latest threats and to implement security measures such as rate limiting and CDN. Stay vigilant and be proactive when it comes to your online security.