A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack can knock your website offline and cost you a lot of money. In this post, we'll teach you how to protect your computer from DDoS (distributed denial of service) cyberattacks.

How Does a DDoS Attack Work?

A DDoS attack, or distributed denial of service attack, is a type of cyberattack where multiple compromised systems are used to target a single system, service, or application. The attack can be launched from a single computer or many computers working together.

Types of DDoS attack

1: Volumetric

Volumetric DDoS attacks are a type of DDoS attack that sends a large amount of traffic to a target in order to overwhelm its resources and take it offline. These attacks can be very difficult to defend against, as they can send a much larger amount of traffic than other types of DDoS attacks. 

2: Application layer

Application layer DDoS attacks are a type of DDoS attack that specifically targets the application layer of the victim's infrastructure. This type of attack is more difficult to execute than other types of DDoS attacks, but can be more devastating, as it can target specific applications and services that are critical to the victim's business. 

3: Flooding

Flooding DDoS Attacks are a series of coordinated DDoS attacks that are used to flood a target with traffic in order to take it offline. These attacks can be very effective at taking down websites and servers and can be difficult to defend against. 

4: SYN floods

A Syn Flood is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack in which an attacker sends a large number of SYN packets to a target system. The target system responds by sending SYN-ACK packets back to the attacker, but because the attacker spoofs the source IP address for each packet, the target system cannot determine which SYN-ACK packets are legitimate, and which are not. As a result, the target system ends up using all of its resources responding to the bogus SYN packets, and legitimate traffic is unable to get through.

5: UDP floods

A UDP flood is a denial-of-service attack that uses User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets to flood a target system with requests, making it difficult for legitimate users to access the service or resource. A UDP flood can also be used to overload a target system's network bandwidth, resulting in a denial of service.

6: ICMP floods

An ICMP flood is a denial of service (DoS) attack that uses the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to flood a target system with malformed or otherwise illegitimate packets. This can crash the target system or render it unusable. A DDoS attack is a type of DOS attack that uses multiple systems to flood the target system with traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users.

7: HTTP floods

A http flood DDoS attack is a type of cyberattack that uses overwhelming amounts of traffic to take down a website or server. The traffic is usually sent through a large number of hijacked devices, such as computers, smartphones, or IoT devices.

8: DNS floods

DNS floods are a type of DDoS attack that overload a DNS server with requests, preventing it from responding to legitimate traffic. This can be used to take a website offline or to steal information from users who are trying to access it.

How to identify DDoS attacks

There are many ways to identify a DDoS attack, but some of the most common are by monitoring bandwidth usage, packet loss, and latency. If you notice any of these abnormalities, it's likely that you're under a DDoS attack.

Most common signs of pending DDoS attack

• Sudden increase in packet loss
• Sudden increase in latency
• Sudden increase in unreachable hosts
• Sudden increase in DNS queries
• Sudden increase in packets with spoofed source addresses

How to Prevent a DDoS Attack

There are many ways to prevent a DDoS attack, but the most common is to use a firewall. A firewall is a program that monitors all the traffic coming in and out of your computer. It can block certain types of traffic, or stop it altogether. You can also use a program called an intrusion detection system, which will monitor your computer for any unusual activity. If it detects something, it will alert you so that you can take action.

• Use a Firewall
• Filter Incoming Traffic
• Use a Content Delivery Network - Free Cloudflare plan
• Harden Your Servers
• Monitor Your Network Traffic

How Cloudflare DDoS protection works?

Cloudflare provides a DDoS protection service that helps to mitigate the effects of DDoS attacks against websites. The service works by routing all traffic through Cloudflare's global network, which is equipped with sophisticated DDoS protection mechanisms. These mechanisms include a global Anycast network, which distributes traffic across Cloudflare's data centers, and an intelligent DDoS mitigation system that can detect and block malicious traffic.

How to Stop a DDoS Attack

There is no one foolproof way to stop a DDoS attack, as the perpetrators can be very inventive in finding new ways to flood a target with traffic. However, there are some steps that can be taken to mitigate the effects of an attack and hopefully stop it before it causes too much damage.

One step that can be taken is to increase the bandwidth available to the target site. This will help to ensure that the site can handle the increased traffic load and not buckle under the pressure. Additionally, firewalls and other security measures can be put in.

What to do if your website is Under DDOS attack

• If you are experiencing a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, the first thing you need to do is determine the extent of the attack.
• Try to identify the source of the attack. This can be difficult, but it is important to try to do so in order to stop the attack.
• Take steps to protect your website from future attacks. This may include strengthening your security measures or hiring a DDoS mitigation service.

Once you have determined the extent of the attack, you can start to take steps to mitigate it. One way to do this is to block the traffic that is coming from the offending IP addresses. You can also use a tool like Cloudflare to help protect your website from DDoS

How to stop a DDoS attack on your router?

• Use a firewall
• Update your router firmware
• Change your router’s default password
• Disable UPnP
• Block malicious IP addresses
• Use a DDoS protection service

How to protect your business against DDoS attack

There are a few ways to protect your business against a DDoS attack. One way is to use a DDoS mitigation service. This service will help to filter out malicious traffic and keep your website online. You can also increase your bandwidth to help handle the increased traffic. Additionally, you can use firewalls and other security measures to help protect your website.

How much DDOS attract can cost your company? 

DDoS attacks can be costly for companies. The Ponemon Institute released a study that found the average cost of a DDoS attack was $2.5 million. The study also found that the average duration of a DDoS attack was 24 hours.

Recommended services to protect against DDoS attacks

• Cloudflare
• Akamai
• StackPath
• Imperva
• NexusGuard

Conclusion

There are a number of ways to stay protected against DDoS attacks. Utilizing a reputable and reliable DDoS protection service is one way to help mitigate the risk of an attack. Additionally, ensuring that your network and systems are properly secured and up to date is critical in preventing unauthorized access and mitigating the impact of a DDoS attack.