DDoS attacks are done to inflict damage to you or your company. This can be done by competitors, hackers or other malicious parties. Whatever the reason is why this attack is done, you can do something about it.
A DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) event is an attempt to make an online service unavailable by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. This can be done by using a botnet, which is a network of infected computers that are controlled by a hacker. DDoS attacks can be very disruptive and can cause significant financial losses.
DDoS attacks come in different types and severities, and they require a different solution depending on the situation.
A protocol-level DDoS attack does not even load the pages on your website, it just targets vulnerabilities in the protocol that is used to communicate with your servers. An illustrative example of such an attack is the SYN flood. During a SYN flood attack, the hacker initiates a multitude of connections to your server but intentionally leaves them in an unfinished state without completing the handshake. This malicious tactic results in a relentless accumulation of half-open connections, quickly overwhelming your server's resources. The consequence? Your server becomes inaccessible to genuine clients, leading to service disruption. Such an attack can only be stopped by using a specific solution that is offered by your hosting provider.
Another variant of DDoS attacks focuses on loading an excessive number of pages from your server within a short time frame, often originating from various IP addresses. The hacker's objective in this case is not necessarily to overload your IP stack but rather to overwhelm the software running on your server or consume its available bandwidth.
For instance, consider a scenario where a page takes just 0.01 seconds to be generated on your server. If an attacker repeatedly loads this page 1000 times per second, your server's resources and bandwidth will quickly become strained. This kind of attack aims to exploit the server's processing capabilities and network capacity, rendering it unresponsive to legitimate users.
The effectiveness of such an attack depends on a few factors:
In this case, NetIngest can be of great help. By installing our solution you can block requests based on advanced rules. Such as blocking an IP for a day when they do more than x requests in the last 10 minutes. This would result in:
Cyber attackers continually evolve their tactics, posing ongoing threats to your infrastructure. Collaborating with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and implementing solutions like NetIngest can create a formidable shield to protect your valuable assets. Safeguarding your online services is an ongoing effort, and with the right tools and strategies, you can stay resilient against DDoS attacks.