What is a denial-of-service (DoS) attack?

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a type of malicious cyber attack that aims to disrupt a network or website by overwhelming it with a flood of traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users. These attacks can be devastating to businesses and organizations, causing significant financial losses and damage to their reputation.

How DoS attacks work

During a DoS attack, the attacker sends an overwhelming amount of traffic to the target network or website, causing it to become overloaded and unable to function properly. This flood of traffic can come from a variety of sources, including botnets, which are networks of compromised devices controlled by the attacker.

Protecting against DoS attacks

There are several measures that can be taken to protect against DoS attacks, such as implementing DDoS mitigation services, setting up firewalls and intrusion prevention systems, and regularly monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns. It is also important to have a response plan in place in case of an attack, including procedures for mitigating the impact and restoring normal operations.