Cyberattacks are a constant threat to companies and users. One of the most common and devastating is the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This type of cyberattack overloads a website, server, or network resource with malicious traffic, causing service interruption and denying access to legitimate users.
How Does a DDoS Attack Work?
A DDoS attack is comparable to a traffic jam caused by thousands of fake vehicles clogging the streets of a city. Transportation services receive seemingly legitimate requests, sending drivers to pick-up locations and thus blocking the roads for real traffic.
DDoS attacks can severely impact a company’s operation, preventing customers from buying products, using services, or accessing vital information. This can paralyze business activities and significantly reduce operational efficiency.
Creating a Botnet
To launch a DDoS attack, cyberattackers create a botnet, a network of devices infected with malware that can be controlled remotely. These devices range from smartphones and personal computers to routers and network servers. Each infected device can spread the malware to others, expanding the reach of the attack.
Creating a botnet is similar to how the Night King in the TV series "Game of Thrones" created an army of White Walkers. The initial Walkers attacked and turned humans, expanding their army and all controlled by the Night King.
Launching the Attack
Once the attacker has established the botnet, they send instructions to the bots to send a large volume of requests to a specific target, such as a server or website. This causes a traffic overload resulting in a denial of service.
DDoS as a Service
Sometimes, attackers rent out their botnets to other criminals through "rental attack" services, allowing anyone without experience to easily perpetrate a DDoS attack.
Motivations for DDoS Attacks
The reasons for launching a DDoS attack are varied:
- Hacktivism: To protest against companies or websites with which the attacker has ideological disagreements.
- Cyber Warfare: Governments seeking to harm an enemy state’s critical infrastructure.
- Extortion: Demanding money in exchange for stopping the attack.
- Entertainment: Hackers seeking to cause chaos for fun.
- Business Competition: To gain a competitive advantage over a rival.
Types of DDoS Attacks
DDoS attacks can target different layers of a computer network according to the OSI model, and the most common ones are:
- Application Layer Attacks (Layer 7): Target specific vulnerabilities of web applications, such as HTTP floods and Slowloris attacks.
- Protocol Attacks: Target Layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model, using techniques like SYN flooding and Smurf attacks.
- Amplification/Reflection Attacks: Falsify the target’s IP address to flood DNS servers with massive responses.
- Volumetric Attacks: Saturate the target with traffic from multiple sources, depleting the available bandwidth.
Protection Against DDoS Attacks
To mitigate the effects of DDoS attacks, a robust strategy is essential, including:
- CDN-Based Defenses: Use a content delivery network to stop attacks at the network’s edge.
- Cloud DDoS Scrubbing: Mitigate attacks targeting non-web infrastructures.
- Web Application Firewalls: Protect against advanced attacks at the application layer.
- Hybrid Protection: Combine on-premises and cloud defenses for greater effectiveness.
Advantages of a DDoS Mitigation Service
A DDoS mitigation provider can offer several advantages, such as:
- Reduced attack surface.
- Maintenance of uptime and performance of digital resources.
- Protection against extortion and other emerging threats.
- Improved response speed to an attack.
In summary, DDoS attacks pose a significant threat to companies and require a comprehensive and advanced security strategy to effectively protect themselves. With the right tools and services, it is possible to mitigate these attacks and maintain the operability of critical systems and services.