Distributed denial of service attacks

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack can be one of the nastiest weapons online. When you read about a site getting brought down by cyber attackers, it typically means that it has fallen victim to a DDoS attack. In simple terms, this simply means that cyber attackers have tried to render a computer or website unavailable through various methods. For instance, if a huge number of people go on a website and leave in a large amount of traffic, it is very likely that the server will have trouble meeting the demand. This means that the website or server will experience what is known as a " saturation attack."

There are many types of DDoS attacks but the ones that are most common include attack vector, buffer overflow, rate based attacks, and volume based attacks. Attack vector attacks occur when someone triggers an error or some other unexpected action when they visit your site. This is usually done in order to trick you into clicking on a link, enter data into a form, or execute a software application. Buffer overflow occurs when someone on your site exceeds the size of the buffer that's built into your system. If enough users fill up the buffer, your site can experience a "popup" message that causes the browser to display an error page.

Another common method of distributed denial-of-Service attacks is called a buffer overflow. A buffer overflow is when a hacker opens a web server browser and attempts to flood it with extremely high traffic. The attacker then leaves packets on your system that are designed to confuse your network's routers. These packets of information overload routers and DDoS your system.

Rate based attacks occur when attackers utilize rate counters as part of their distributed denial of service attacks. These attacks send out too many I/O requests to your system in a short amount of time. Some common rate based attacks send out as many as four million I/O requests within a thirty second period. They can be coordinated by a number of different groups.

A denial of service (DDoS) group may coordinate attacks between itself or with one or more members of a larger DDoS group. They may also coordinate a coordinated attack on your business or personal computer.

The purpose of a rate based attack against your system is to overload your system with as much data as possible in a short amount of time. While this method can certainly cause your network traffic to exceed your system's capacity, the majority of DDoS attacks are not caused by this method.

Most attacks occur because the victim sends too much data for the system to handle. In addition, most DDoS attacks do not utilize a rate counters, but instead use an application or some type of command line protocol tool that sends data at a rate that the system cannot handle.

Botnets are another cause for distributed denial of service attacks. A botnet is a network of infected computers controlled by one or more hackers. Common botnets include botnets created by viruses, worms, Trojans, and other sources. If your network is infected with a botnet, then it is very possible that your network will be attacked.

A simple method of detecting if your system has been attacked is by monitoring the traffic that comes into and leaves your network. Every time you receive an ip packet, whether it is from another IP address or not, you should monitor it to see what kind of data is being sent. An IP packet is a data frame that has had its destination port opened up. This packet will have its source address added to it as well as the length of the data frame. If you receive an unusually large packet of data, especially one that looks like a DDoS attack, then you should suspect a DDoS attack on your network.

Common DDoS attacks types

ICMP (Ping) Flood.

SYN Flood.

Ping of Death.

Slowloris.

NTP Amplification.

HTTP Flood.

Zero-day DDoS Attacks.

Volume Based Attacks.

Distributed protocol attacks includes a number of different types of attacks. Some of the more common methods include port scanning, SYN flooding, application layer attacks, and port flooding. SYN flooding attacks are conducted when a server requests too many open ports, and the other end responds with an overloaded request. Application layer attacks include things like using software as a weapon (malware) or using the TCP protocol as a weapon ( spoofing).