What is a DoS Attack?
A denial of service (DoS) attack is a cyberattack that prevents legitimate users from gaining access to services and resources by flooding the target network with fake traffic to overload systems and prevent legitimate traffic.
Goal of a DoS Attack
The purpose of a DoS attack is to slow down or prevent a machine or network from being accessible to its intended users. Cybercriminals may perform a DoS attack to extort money from businesses by disrupting their service.
Organizations dealing with large sums of money, such as the stock market, are often targeted since they must be up and running during core business hours. According to a 2023 Microsoft report, the world has seen almost a 300 percent increase in these types of attacks year over year.
What is a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack?
A DoS attack uses a single IP address as its source, but a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack uses multiple addresses—making this type of DoS attack more challenging to fight. DDoS attacks operate with numerous machines to attack a single target server. Botnets, a group of internet-connected devices controlled by the attacker, are often used to perform a large-scale DDoS attack.
How to Minimize DoS Attacks
Companies should take precautions to avoid flood attacks and minimize damage if attackers target them. Consider the actions below:
- Monitor traffic. Enroll in a DoS or DDoS protection service that spots suspicious traffic and redirects it from your network.
- Reduce the attack surface. Keep track of inventory such as legacy, IoT, and shadow IT devices to mitigate risks from attackers.
- Make a response plan. Prepare a strategy before a DoS attack takes place to mitigate any damages that may occur if and when a cyberattack happens.
Partnering with an enterprise cybersecurity solution such as Armis can help your business minimize the risks of falling victim to a DoS attack. Armis identifies your attack surface and security gaps to strengthen your cybersecurity resilience.