Understanding the Growing Threat of DDoS Attacks

Imagine walking into a bank and the representative politely says “Sorry, our server is down. Please wait for a few minutes.”

While it might sound like a routine technical glitch, what if the real reason was a DDoS attack flooding the bank’s systems with traffic by making them temporarily inaccessible?

Such attacks aren’t limited to only banks. Think of an e-commerce web site crashing during a big sale, a gaming server going offline in the middle of a tournament or even a corporate network being taken down as part of a ransom demand.

These real-world disruptions highlight just how impactful DDoS attacks can be.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, a type of DoS attack, have become one of the most common threats faced by organizations today. By overwhelming a target with malicious traffic, attackers can disrupt services, cause financial loss, and damage brand reputation.

To understand why that “server down” moment could be a cyberattack, let’s explore how DDoS attacks work, why they are growing, and what makes them so effective.

What is a DDoS Attack?

A DDoS attack is a cyber-attack in which multiple compromised devices flood a target server, application, or network with traffic making it unavailable to legitimate users. The attackers use a large number of systems which are mostly part of a botnet to send requests simultaneously, exhausting the target/victim’s bandwidth, processing power, or application resources.

Difference Between DoS and DDoS

Before diving deeper into DDoS, it’s important to understand how it differs from a basic Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Both aim to disrupt services, but the scale and method are very different.

Think of it this way: DoS is like one person blocking a doorway, while DDoS is a crowd rushing in to block the entire entrance at once.

The Role of Botnets in DDoS Attacks

A botnet is a network of compromised devices such as computers, servers, and IoT gadgets that are infected with malware and remotely controlled by an attacker. Once formed, the attacker can issue commands to these devices to simultaneously send traffic to a chosen target.

Why botnets are effective:

• They provide massive bandwidth from thousands of devices.
• They hide the real identity of the attacker by using different IP addresses.
• They can be rented as “DDoS as a Service” on dark web marketplaces, making attacks accessible even to less skilled hackers.

Categories of DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks can target different layers of the network or application stack. The main categories include:

1. Volumetric Attacks (Network & Transport layers (L3/L4)): These attacks focus on consuming bandwidth by sending a huge volume of traffic. Examples include UDP floods, ICMP floods, and amplification attacks like DNS or NTP amplification.
2. Protocol Attacks (Network & Transport layers (L3/L4)): These exploit weaknesses in network protocols to exhaust server resources. Common examples are SYN floods, fragmented packet attacks, and Ping of Death.
3. Application Layer Attacks (Layer 7): These are more sophisticated and mimic legitimate user behaviour, targeting specific functions of a web application. Examples include HTTP floods or slowloris attacks, which exhaust the server’s ability to respond to real users.
4. Advanced/Hybrid DDoS Attacks (Multi Vector): These attacks combine volumetric, protocol, and application layer techniques to maximize damage. For example, an attacker may launch a UDP flood with a SYN flood or mix DNS amplification with HTTP floods. By switching methods mid attack, they become harder to detect and mitigate, overwhelming defences at multiple layers.

Why DDoS Attacks Are Increasing

The frequency and scale of DDoS attacks have grown significantly in recent years due to several factors; the main factors include:

• Hacktivism: Groups launch DDoS attacks to protest political or social issues, aiming to disrupt the online presence of governments or corporations.
• Ransom and Extortion: Attackers threaten to take services offline unless the victim pays a ransom, often in cryptocurrency. This is known as Ransom DDoS (RDoS).
• Diversion Tactics: Cybercriminals sometimes use DDoS attacks to divert attention while launching a more serious breach, such as data theft or malware deployment.
• Availability of DDoS as a Service: Attackers can now easily rent botnets and launch attacks without technical expertise, lowering the barrier to entry.

Key Takeaway

Over time, DDoS attacks have transformed into destructive tools capable of paralyzing businesses, governments, and critical systems. Staying secure requires strong awareness and proactive defence measures.

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