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What is Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack?

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Nilesh Parashar

By flooding the targeted server, service, or network with a flood of Internet traffic, a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack attempts to disrupt normal traffic. Multiple compromised computers are used as attack traffic sources in DDoS attacks. Internet of Things (IoT) devices and computers are examples of exploited machines. When viewed from a distance, a DDoS attack resembles an unanticipated traffic jam that slows down and impedes the flow of regular traffic.

 

What is the Process of a DDos Attack?

Internet-enabled machines are used to carry out DDoS attacks. Computers and other devices (such as Internet of Things devices) that have been infected with malware can be remotely controlled by an attacker. A botnet is a collection of connected devices that are collectively referred to as bots (or zombies). Using a botnet, an attacker can direct an attack by sending each bot a set of remote commands. It is possible for the victim's server or network to become overloaded with requests from the botnet, resulting in a denial-of-service for normal traffic if it is targeted by the botnet. Weaknesses in identifying attack traffic from legitimate Internet usage are a common problem.

 

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Types Of Distributed Denial of Service Attacks


DDoS attacks fall into three categories:


  • Attacks focused on the network or on the amount of data transferred. The packet floods consume all of the available bandwidth, causing a resource to become overloaded. DNS amplification attacks, which use the target's IP address to make requests to a DNS server, are an example of this type of attack. Afterwards, the server deluges the intended recipient with replies.
  • Attacks on protocol. These exploit flaws in network or transport layer protocols to overwhelm the resources they target. As an example, in a SYN flood attack, a large number of "initial connection request" packets are sent to the targeted IP addresses using spoof source IP addresses. Due to an overabundance of requests, the Transmission Control Protocol handshake takes forever to complete.
  • The software layer. It's common to see a high volume of calls to application services or databases. A denial of service is triggered by an influx of data packets. This can be seen in the form of an HTTP flood attack, which is the same as refreshing multiple webpages at once.

 

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Knowing How to Spot Ddos Assaults

In the case of DDoS attacks, traffic generated by the attacks causes a loss of service. On any given network, problems with availability and service are to be expected. It's critical to know the difference between normal operational faults and DDoS assaults. It's crucial to know what to look for since a DDoS assault might seem ordinary at first glance. To establish whether an assault is taking place and the manner of the malicious attack, a thorough traffic analysis is required.


A list of network and server actions that may indicate the presence of a DDoS assault is provided. The following actions, either alone or in combination, should raise red flags:


  • Requests from a single or a few IP addresses are made repeatedly in a short period of time.
  • Users with similar habits are causing an uptick in traffic. For example, if a large number of visitors come from the same kind of device, location, or browser.
  • A pinging service fails to connect to a server that is being tested.
  • When a server returns a 503 HTTP error code, it's either overburdened or offline for service.
  • Logs indicate a steady increase in bandwidth. Even if a server isn't working properly, it shouldn't run out of bandwidth.
  • At times or in a particular sequence, the logs reflect traffic surges.
  • Traffic to a single URL or endpoint has spiked significantly, according to logs.

 

The sort of assault may also be determined based on these actions. If the 503 error occurs at the protocol or network level, the attack is most likely protocol- or network-based. If the activity seems to be directed towards a specific programme or site, it is possible that an attack is occurring at the application level.


Because it is almost difficult for a single individual to keep track of all the factors involved in determining the sort of attack, network and application analysis tools are used instead.

 

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