What is a DDoS attack?

A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a website or online service by overloading it with traffic from various sources.. Such attacks can bring down even the most powerful servers, making websites unavailable to users.

History and evolution of DDoS attacks

Since the beginning of the Internet, DDoS attacks have evolved from simple attempts to take down websites to complex strategies using botnets and other tools. The first DDoS attacks occurred in the late 90s, and since then their frequency and intensity have increased significantly.

Types of DDoS attacks

Volumetric Attacks

• These attacks aim to exhaust network bandwidth by flooding huge amounts of traffic. The main goal of such attacks is to overload the network so that it cannot process legitimate traffic.

Protocol Attacks

• These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols to overload server resources. Examples include SYN flood and Ping of Death, which target network layers.

Application Layer Attacks

• These attacks focus on specificweb applications with the goal of exhausting server resources. An example is an HTTP flood, in which the server processes a large number of requests, which leads to its overload.

How do DDoS attacks work?

Mechanism and processes

• Attacks typically start by hijacking a large number of devices, such as computers and IoT devices, to create a botnet. The attackers then direct traffic from these devices to the target, overloading it.

Tools and Techniques

• There are various tools such as LOIC (Low Orbit Ion Cannon) and botnets that are used to carry out attacks. These tools make it easy for attackers to organize and launch an attack with minimal effort.
  

Impact of DDoS attacks on websites

Loss of income

• When a website becomes unavailable due to an attack, it can result in significant financial losses, especially for online businesses. Customers are unable to make purchases and this directly impacts profits.

Damage to reputation

• Extended downtime or frequent attacks can negatively impact a company's reputation, causing a loss of trust among customers. This is especially critical for organizations that rely on their online presence.

Downtime and recovery

• Recovering from a DDoS attack can take a lot of time and resources, which can also be expensive. This includes not only technical aspects, but also possible legal and regulatory implications.
  

How to protect a website from DDoS attacks?

Implementation of protection systems

• Using DDoS protection systems such as Cloudflare or Akamai can help reduce the risk of attacks. These systems can filter malicious traffic and ensure site availability.

Using a CDN

• Content delivery networks (CDNs) can distribute traffic and reduce the impact of DDoS attacks on servers. This allows you to minimize the load on one server, distributing it across many servers around the world.

Monitoring and analysis

• Constantly monitoring traffic and analyzing suspicious activity can help in early detection and prevention of attacks. It is important to have a warning system and respond quickly to any anomalies.

Examples of large DDoS attacks

GitHub attack 2018

• In 2018, GitHub suffered one of the largest DDoS attacks in history, with traffic peaking at 1.35 Tbps. The attack was successfully repulsed thanks to the use of defense systems.

Dyn 2016 attack

• In 2016, Dyn, a major DNS provider, was the victim of a massive attack that took down many popular websites. This showed how vulnerable internet infrastructures can be.

DDoS attacks pose a serious threat to the security and availability of websites. It is important to understand how they work and take the necessary steps to protect yourself. The implementation of modern security systems, the use of CDN and constant monitoring will help reduce risks and ensure the smooth operation of your website.