What is a DDoS attack?

A DDoS attack is when lots of hijacked computers send too much traffic to a website or network, making it crash and stop working for real users. It's like too many cars trying to use a small road, causing a traffic jam that stops everyone from moving.

How does a DDoS attack work?

1. Attackers use a network of compromised devices (botnet).
2. They command these devices to flood a target with overwhelming traffic.
3. This traffic overload disrupts the target's normal operation.
4. The target may employ defense measures to mitigate the attack.
5. The attack may persist for varying durations.
6. Organizations need strong security measures to defend against DDoS attacks.

How to identify a DDoS attack?

1. Look for a sudden, significant increase in network or server traffic.
2. Monitor for unusual traffic patterns, such as high connection requests or unusual user agent strings.
3. Check for service unavailability, slow response times, or site inaccessibility.
4. Implement rate limiting, threshold alerts, and traffic analysis tools.
5. Use intrusion detection systems and continuous network monitoring.
6. Communicate with ISPs and CDNs for assistance.
7. Analyze server logs and performance metrics.
8. Consider DDoS mitigation services for real-time detection and response.

What are some common types of DDoS attacks?

1. Volumetric Attacks (UDP Flood, ICMP Flood).
2. TCP State Exhaustion Attacks (SYN/ACK Flood, TCP ACK Flood).
3. Application Layer Attacks (HTTP Flood, Slowloris Attack).
4. DNS Amplification and Reflection Attacks.
5. NTP, Memcached, SSDP, and UPnP Amplification Attacks.
6. Smurf Attack.
7. Teardrop Attack.

These attacks target various aspects of a network or service and aim to overwhelm or disrupt them. Defenses typically involve traffic filtering and mitigation techniques.