DDoS Attacks Explained: What They Are and How to Defend Against Them
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is one of the most notorious cyberattacks that can disrupt businesses, organisations, and even entire networks. Whether you’re running a small website or managing large-scale infrastructure, understanding DDoS attacks and how to defend against them is critical.
At IT Hotdesk, an IT company based in Aberdeen, we specialise in protecting businesses from the growing threats of cyberattacks, including DDoS attacks. We understand the importance of building robust defences and staying vigilant against the latest cyber security risks.
What is a DDoS Attack?
A DDoS attack is a type of cyberattack where multiple compromised computers or devices, often called a botnet, flood a target’s network, server, or website with overwhelming traffic. This overloads the system, causing it to slow down significantly or crash entirely, making the service inaccessible to legitimate users.
The goal of the attacker is to disrupt normal traffic and take down online services by consuming all available resources. Unlike Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, which typically come from a single source, DDoS attacks utilise multiple sources, making them harder to detect and mitigate.
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How Does a DDoS Attack Work?
DDoS attacks leverage botnets, which are networks of infected devices controlled remotely by an attacker. These devices could be anything connected to the internet, from computers and smartphones to IoT gadgets like security cameras. Once under control, these devices send an overwhelming amount of traffic to the system at the same time.
The most common types of DDoS attacks include:
- Volumetric Attacks: The attacker floods the network with excessive traffic, overwhelming the bandwidth.
- Protocol Attacks: These attacks target network protocols and devices, consuming server resources or exploiting weaknesses.
- Application Layer Attacks: These focus on specific applications, making it appear as if legitimate users are causing the service to crash.
Real-World Examples of DDoS Attacks
In 2023 and 2024, DDoS attacks became more complex and impactful, with several incidents demonstrating the growing scale of these threats. One of the most significant was the "Rapid Reset" attack, which exploited a flaw in the HTTP/2 protocol. This attack set a record, reaching an overwhelming 398 million requests per second, far surpassing previous incidents. Companies like Google and Cloudflare acted swiftly, patching the vulnerability, but businesses that manage their internet presence had to take immediate action to safeguard their systems.
Additionally, the nature of DDoS attacks in 2024 showed a shift, with hacktivism—cyberattacks driven by political motives—emerging as a leading cause. Although the overall number of DDoS attacks decreased, the size and impact of individual attacks grew significantly. This trend was especially noticeable in industries such as telecommunications, gaming, and government sectors, highlighting the critical need for advanced DDoS protection.
How to Defend Against DDoS Attacks
At IT Hotdesk, we recommend several strategies to defend against DDoS attacks and minimise their impact:
- Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF filters malicious traffic before it reaches your server, allowing legitimate traffic through while blocking suspicious activity.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN distributes your website or service across multiple servers. This helps spread traffic and makes it harder for a DDoS attack to overwhelm a single point.
- Rate Limiting and Traffic Shaping: These techniques control the flow of traffic, ensuring that no single user or IP address can send excessive requests in a short time frame.
- DDoS Mitigation Services: Cloud-based DDoS protection services can monitor traffic in real-time and quickly respond to attacks, filtering out malicious traffic and minimising downtime.
- Regular Updates and Patching: Ensuring that servers, routers, and IoT devices are updated with the latest security patches can prevent them from being compromised and used in botnets.
According to AJ Johnstone, our cyber security architect at IT Hotdesk, "DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but with the right mix of proactive defences and real-time monitoring, businesses can significantly reduce the risk. It’s essential to stay ahead of these threats and ensure your network is resilient.”
DDoS attacks are a growing threat and businesses must be prepared to defend against them. At IT Hotdesk, we help organisations build resilient systems through robust firewalls, CDNs, rate limiting, and real-time DDoS mitigation services. By staying vigilant and implementing these defences, you can ensure your services remain online and accessible even in the face of a large-scale attack.