As the owner of a website, you should be mindful of all sorts of attacks that you are vulnerable to. This includes DDOS attacks as well. You can call DDOS attacks one of the crudest types of attacks. Since these attacks are powerful, it is quite difficult to stop them as well. That’s why you should have a strong understanding of DDOS-attack and how to stay away from them.
1. What exactly is a DDOS-attack?
A DDOS attack, which is also known as a Denial of Service attack is where the attacker will flood the servers or network of the victim through a boost in internet traffic. If you are the victim, your network will be overwhelmed by the number of requests that are coming on your way. This will slow down the services significantly. Or else, these requests can even take your website offline. When that happens, not even a legitimate user of your website will be able to access it.
This is one of the least sophisticated cyberattack types. However, it has the potential to create disruption for a business. We can often see how numerous digital services and websites go offline due to DDOS-attacks. Some of the websites can come back online after seconds. However, there are situations where certain websites are forced to remain offline for many weeks after a DDOS-attack.
2. How do DDOS-attacks work?
Before learning how to protect your website from DDOS-attacks, you will need to have a strong understanding of how they work. The DDOS-attacks takes place through a network that contains hundreds, or thousands of machines connected to each other. These machines can include laptops, desktops, servers, and even IoT devices. The attacker will have complete access to all these devices. Hence, the attacker will be able to use them effectively to conduct the DDOS-attack.
In most instances, the attackers don’t own these attacks. They get hold of the devices of other people through malware attacks. Through a malware attack, it is possible for them to get hold of the default credentials for logins. Then they will have access to the devices for conducting DDOS-attacks.
When a device is breached by an attacker, it would become a part of the botnet. Here, botnet refers to the group of machines, which the attacker has complete control. By using a botnet, it is possible for an attacker to conduct a variety of malicious activities. For example, it is possible to spread malware, ransomware, phishing emails, and many more. A botnet can even have millions of devices.
3. Different types of DDOS-attack
There are many different types of DDOS-attacks. Here are three of the most prominent types of DDOS-attacks that you can see out there in the world.
3.1 Protocol attacks
Protocol DDOS-attack is in a position to damage the connection tables that exist in the network areas where the network connections are verified. This will be done by sending misinformed and slow pings. Moreover, it is even possible to use partial packets for carrying out such an attack. This kind of attack can create memory buffers in the target system or website. This can eventually end up crashing it.
3.2 Application layer attacks
Application layer DDOS-attacks are quite popular. These attacks focus mainly on sending direct website traffic to a website. However, these attacks are not easy to catch. That’s because these attacks usually take place only from a small number of devices. In most instances, it can be a single computer.
3.3 Volumetric attacks
The most popular type of DDOS-attacks is the volumetric attack. This is where a flood of false data is sent to the target website or system. These bots will flood all the ports with data. Hence, the server will be overwhelmed with a large number of requests. This can eventually slow down the system or make it offline.
4. How to prevent DDOS-attacks
You don’t need to worry too much about the DDOS-attacks because there are some steps that you can take to control them. Here are some of the most effective tips available for you to follow and prevent the negative consequences that can take place along with a DDOS-attack.
4.1 Develop a proper response plan
You should be equipped with a proper response plan for the DDOS-attacks. When you become the victim of a DDOS-attack, you just need to use the response plan and implement it. That’s because the response plan will include information related to all the steps that you will need to take after you become the victim of a DDOS-attack. You just need to follow the plan and you will be able to take prompt actions to overcome the negative consequences that would come on your way.
4.2 Secure the network infrastructure
It is also possible for you to secure the overall network infrastructure and minimize the chances of being affected by a DDOS-attack. This is where you should focus more on the implementation of threat management systems. They include content filtering, anti-spam, VPN, combined firewall, load balancing, and other related systems. They will be able to work together and deliver the utmost protection to your website during a DDOS-attack. That’s because they will be in a position to figure out the inconsistencies in traffic effectively.
4.3 Don’t forget basic network security
Most of the people who become victims of DDOS-attacks are the ones who ignore basic network security. Hence, you need to make sure that you never ignore basic network security at any given time. You will need to engage with strong security practices, which can always help you to protect the business networks. You will need to use complex passwords for the systems. You should also change them regularly. Moreover, you should implement firewalls, which will only allow limited outside traffic. These will not directly help you to prevent DDOS-attacks. However, they can deliver a solid security foundation for you.
Focus on these tips and make sure that you are always protected against DDOS-attacks.