Denial-of-Service attack
A Denial-of-Service attack (DoS) is when someone arranges for a lot of computers to open a website. This stops everyone else from accessing the website as there is too much traffic flowing to it. People with slower internet connections, such as dial-up, are affected more by attacks.[1][2][3]
Types
There are different kinds of DoS attacks:
- Flood attack - This is when a system gets too much internet traffic (people trying to connect to it). The traffic uses bandwidth and the internet servers slow down and eventually stop.[4]
- Logic and software attacks - Internet packets are sent that are supposed to use bugs in the software or system. These attacks are easier to defend against because firewall or software patches usually correct the problem.[4]
- Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack - This type of attack uses either flood attacks or logic attacks, but it uses many different computers under the attacker's control (see Botnet). This type of attack is one of the most often used, and usually against company websites. This type of attack is often the hardest to prevent, track, and stop.[2][3]
History
In the 1990s and early 2000s, many web companies were hit by DoS attacks. For example, Microsoft was affected by DoS attacks in early 2001. Many users were unable to access the Microsoft website and many Microsoft services.[2][3] On June 10, 2014, Evernote was targeted by a DDoS attack for 24 hours.
Denial-of-Service Attack Media
Diagram of a DDoS attack. Note how multiple computers are attacking a single computer.
Numerous websites offering tools to conduct a DDoS attack were seized by the FBI under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.
References
- ↑ "US-CERT Tip ST04-015 - Understanding Denial-of-Service Attacks". Archived from the original on 2007-07-16. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Komar, Brian; Beekelaar, Ronald; Wettern, Joern (2003). Firewalls For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7645-4428-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Anonymous (2003). Maximum Security. Sams Publishing. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-672-32459-8.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "35 Types of DDoS Attacks (That Hackers Will Use Against You in 2022)". 28 June 2019. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.