Attack VectorsHigh

DDoS Attack

A Distributed Denial-of-Service attack overwhelms systems with traffic, making services unavailable

Content

What is a DDoS Attack?

A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack floods a target system or network with excessive traffic, rendering services slow or unavailable. Attackers often use botnets made up of compromised devices.

Types of DDoS Attacks

  • Volumetric – Massive traffic to consume bandwidth
  • Protocol-based – Exploits weaknesses in layer protocols
  • Application-layer – Targets specific app functions

Best Practices

  • Use DDoS protection services (e.g., Cloudflare, AWS Shield)
  • Monitor network traffic patterns
  • Rate-limit incoming requests
  • Set up auto-scaling for high availability
Quick Facts
Severity Level
9/10
Goal

Crash or slow down targeted systems

Method

Massive traffic from multiple sources

Common Tools

LOIC, HOIC, Mirai Botnet

Targets

Websites, DNS, APIs, games