Distributed-Denial-of-Service-Attack (DDoS)
A Distributed-Denial-of-Service-Attack (DDoS) is a type of cyber-attack that tries to make a website, server or network unavailable to users by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. Imagine a road that can only fit a certain number of cars at once. If there are too many cars trying to use the road at the same time, it will cause a traffic jam and no one will be able to use the road. A DDoS attack works in a similar way – by sending so much traffic to a website or server that it can’t handle all the requests and becomes overloaded.
DDoS attacks often use a network of infected computers, known as a “botnet”, to carry out the attack. These computers are typically infected with malware that allows the attacker to remotely control them without the owner’s knowledge. By controlling many computers in this way, attackers can direct a huge amount of traffic towards their target, making it difficult for the victim’s server to keep up with the requests.
The consequences of a DDoS attack can be serious: it can lead to loss of revenue for businesses, damage to reputation, and even compromise sensitive data. To protect against DDoS attacks, companies can use various mitigation strategies, such as setting up firewalls, using anti-DDoS services or collaborating with internet service providers (ISPs) to filter out malicious traffic.