Denial-Of-Service (Dos) Attack
| A denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) is an attack in which a malicious actor seeks to make a computer or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services of a host connected to the Internet. A DoS attack is typically accomplished by flooding the target with Internet traffic. When a server is overloaded with requests, legitimate users may no longer be able to access the resource. There are two types of DoS attacks: those that crash services and those that flood services. A service crash is caused by overwhelming the server with requests that cause the server to fail. A flooding attack is similar, but instead of crashing the service, the attacker seeks to overload the server with requests, preventing legitimate users from being able to access the service. DoS attacks are often carried out by botnets, which are networks of infected computers that are controlled by a malicious actor. These botnets can generate a large amount of traffic, making it difficult for the target to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate traffic. DoS attacks can have a significant impact on businesses and individuals. For businesses, a DoS attack can result in lost revenue, customers, and productivity. For individuals, a DoS attack can result in the loss of access to important resources, such as email, banking, and social media. There are a number of steps that businesses and individuals can take to protect themselves from DoS attacks. These include keeping systems up-to-date, using firewalls, and monitoring network traffic. |
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