Falling victim to a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack can have severe consequences for a business. Those attacks are increasingly becoming a significant threat to companies worldwide, as most global players do much of their business online. DDoS attacks have become increasingly frequent while evolving in their complexity and threat level. In this article, you’ll learn how to prevent & stop DDoS attacks to protect and keep your website or network safe.
Apart from significant financial losses, a DDoS attack can negatively impact our brand and reputation. As a result, we might even see a severe loss of customers. To prevent such a thing, we must be prepared to invest in DDoS attack prevention.
In this article, we will examine a DDoS attack and its mechanism and define the key steps we should take to protect our website from it.
What Is a DDoS Attack?
A DDoS attack uses a bot or some other tool to generate overwhelming signals to a given server or network. As a result, the network cannot process actual requests from real users or other networks. DDoS attacks are especially effective against websites since hackers can target specific parts of your network by overloading it with traffic.
There are several types of DDoS attacks. We must know how they work to better prepare against each one. In this article, you’ll learn how to prevent & stop DDoS attacks to protect and keep your website or network safe.
The consequences of a successful DDoS attack can be severe:
- Downtime: Prolonged website unavailability can lead to a significant loss of revenue and customer trust.
- Reputational Damage: Frequent or prolonged downtime can harm your brand’s reputation.
- Increased Costs: Mitigation and recovery efforts can be expensive.
- Data Breaches: In some cases, DDoS attacks are used as smokescreens for more severe breaches.
How Do DDoS Attacks Work?
We can define three DDoS attacks, depending on how they target our network.
Volumetric Attack
Perhaps the most commonly encountered DDoS attack is the volumetric type. In this type, the bot attempts to overload the server by sending many false requests to every available port. There are two primary types of volumetric DDoS attacks: UDP floods and ICMP floods.
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a fast transmission protocol without integrity checks. Unfortunately, this protocol provides a quick transfer of data, making it the perfect means to execute a DDoS attack.
On the other hand, the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) refers to the method of communication between different devices within a network. An ICMP DDoS attack attempts to overwhelm the network by sending a considerable number of false echo requests. As a result, the target cannot take care of any actual requests, similar to a UDP flood.
Protocol Attack
Protocol DDoS attacks target the parts of a network that verify connections. The network would receive a barrage of malformed or slow pings that would take too much memory to process and verify. Because of that, the system would ultimately be unable to process any requests properly. Furthermore, Protocol DDoS attacks are often used against firewalls by sending large amounts of irregular data.
Application-layer: Stop DDoS Attacks
The final type of DDoS attack targets the applications we interact with. Application-layer attacks directly tamper with HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, or DNS protocols—all responsible for web-based traffic. The main issue with this DDoS attack is that it is very hard to detect on time. Since the bot attacks the standard web protocols, it’s easy to mistake this attack for regular web traffic.
How to Prevent DDoS Attacks
Now that we have examined DDoS attacks and their most common types let’s see how we can protect our website from them. Below, you will find four methods that we know are highly effective in preventing and dealing with DDoS attacks. In this article, you’ll learn how to prevent & stop DDoS attacks to protect and keep your website or network safe.
Create a DDoS Response Plan
A well-thought-out DDoS response plan is critical to protecting our organization’s website and internal network. We need to carefully review the different components of our system and assess their security levels. Any vulnerabilities must be addressed and considered when preparing our response plan.
Depending on the size and scope of our network, the DDoS response plan can be relatively simple or highly complex. Creating a checklist of all internal systems that an attack could target is essential. We must also implement an effective notification system to alert us if an issue arises.
Create a Response Team
Establishing a response team is vital to preventing and dealing with DDoS attacks. For large organizations with multiple data centers, separate teams must be at all locations. Team members need defined roles, and an escalation chain should the need arise.
Improve Network Infrastructure Security: Stop DDoS Attacks
If we want our networks to be secure, we must invest in multi-layered protection strategies. Components of an exemplary network infrastructure include components such as:
- Anti-virus software
- Anti-malware software
- Firewalls
- Network monitoring software
- External threat monitoring systems
Various specialized software solutions must constantly monitor our systems. If all traffic is scrutinized continuously, DDoS attacks and similar threats can be detected and dealt with before any major damage is done.
Ensure Network Architecture Based on Redundancy
The architecture of a given network is one of the most significant factors that affect its vulnerability to DDoS attacks. Hence, we must establish a system of redundant network resources. This means that if one server is overloaded, other servers will be in place to handle the extra traffic that will come through.
Long-Term Strategies for DDoS Mitigation
- Adopt a Layered Security ApproachA multi-layered security strategy provides multiple points of defense, making it harder for attackers to breach your network. This approach should include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security audits.
- Stay InformedKeep abreast of the latest DDoS attack trends and techniques. Cybersecurity is a constantly evolving field, and staying informed will help you adapt your defenses to new threats.
- Engage in Threat Intelligence SharingParticipate in industry threat intelligence sharing groups. Sharing information about DDoS attack patterns and tactics can help you and others in your industry stay ahead of threats.
- Regular Testing and DrillsConduct regular testing and drills to ensure your DDoS response plan is effective. Simulated attacks can help you identify weaknesses and improve your response strategy.
- Invest in Scalable InfrastructureScalable infrastructure can handle sudden increases in traffic. Cloud-based solutions, for example, can dynamically allocate resources to handle traffic spikes.
- Work with Security ExpertsCollaborate with cybersecurity experts to evaluate and improve your DDoS defenses. Regular security assessments by professionals can help you identify and address vulnerabilities.
Protection from DDoS Attacks Is Essential: Stop DDoS Attacks
DDoS attacks can cause significant problems for our business, from financial losses and reputation damage to customer losses. So, to avoid that, we need to take adequate measures to prevent and counteract them. The above list of methods is a great starting point for small and large organizations.
