Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are becoming more and more common in this day and age. Given the fact that almost all major companies have a good portion of their business online, such attacks are becoming a serious threat to businesses worldwide. Furthermore, DDoS attacks are quickly evolving, becoming more complex and harder to detect and prevent.
In this article, we will take a look at why hackers use DDoS attacks so frequently and what motives usually lie behind them. While there are virtually endless possibilities, experience shows that DDoS attacks frequently happen because of a few select reasons. On top of that, we will provide a few basic tips on how to protect yourself from them.
Before we get into it, however, let’s dive a bit deeper into DDoS attacks and how they can negatively impact any website.
What are DDoS Attacks?
DDoS attacks involve the use of software to generate a huge amount of signals to a server. If a network is overwhelmed with apparent “traffic,”, it becomes unable to process actual requests from real users. As a result, the server overloads and becomes unavailable.
There are various types of DDoS attacks, but they all follow the same principle. Such attacks are especially useful for taking down websites.
Why Do Hackers Choose DDoS Attacks?
DDoS attacks are so popular among hackers because they are both easy to execute and highly effective. Generating fake traffic is not a complex task, but it can have a real and serious impact on a server. On top of that, not many servers or websites are adequately prepared to detect and handle such an attack. Because of all those reasons, hackers tend to use DDoS attacks more and more in recent years.
Top 7 Reasons for Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks
In order for you to adequately prepare for a DDoS attack, knowing why one might occur can be of big help. Both website owners and business organizations need to start thinking about the issue since it can come suddenly and cause major damage.
Let’s take a look at what experience shows to be the most common reasons behind DDoS attacks.
1. Extortion
The threat of a DDoS attack itself is often used as a method for extortion. The hacker would demand payment in exchange for not taking out your server or website. That effectively counts as cyber-terrorism and needs to be reported as such.
2. Retaliation and Punishment
A DDoS attack might come as retaliation for a certain action taken by the targeted business or individual. Perhaps they have refused the extortion demands or have hampered the hacker’s activities in some way. In many cases, the target will not have any idea why they have been targeted by the attack at all.
3. Malicious Business Practices
Since DDoS attacks are perfect for disrupting business operations, they can be an effective tool to use against a business competitor. Taking out competitor websites on key dates or occasions can give a business the edge it needs to get more customers.
4. Target Practice
As we already mentioned, new DDoS attack methods and tools are constantly under development. Hackers work hard to create new and more sophisticated ways to take down websites and servers. In order to test out and fine-tune their new methods, hackers would often target random websites that they deem suitable targets. In such cases, the attack has no reason at all rather than to serve as practice for future attempts.
5. Distraction
Sometimes, a DDoS attack is nothing more but a tool for distraction. Hackers would often do that in order to avert attention from other malicious activities they are doing to a server or a website. A sudden DDoS attack and the following chaos are the perfect covers for hackers who want to steal information or plant a virus.
6. Anger and Criticism
In today’s divisive political and social environment, many companies find it difficult to appease everyone with their messaging. If an organization exhibits views or behavior that certain people find unacceptable, it can be targeted by DDoS attacks as a form of criticism. The same goes for government bodies and political organizations, which usually have a hard time navigating public opinion properly.
7. Online Warfare
When it comes to hackers, there are numerous online “gangs” and groups that often strive to achieve different agendas. As a result, sometimes those groups find themselves at odds with each other. This results in the so-called “turf wars”, in which DDoS attacks are a particularly effective weapon. Sometimes, however, third-party websites and businesses can get caught in the crossfire. For this very reason, it is essential for organizations to know how to protect themselves from DDoS attacks.
How to Prevent and Respond to DDoS Attacks?
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why a website or a server can become the target of a DDoS attack. Since such a threat has the potential of severely damaging a business, responsible owners need to be prepared to deal with it. Here are a few tips that can help you with the prevention and response to DDoS attacks.
● Make sure your organization has a DDoS response plan in place. Depending on the size of your operation, this plan might be quite simple, or quite complex. It needs to address all components of your system and assess their risk levels.
● Create a DDoS response team that will be responsible for the prevention and response to such attacks. Prepare guidelines and procedures as per the plan mentioned above.
● Ensure that your network utilizes a multi-layered security system. This will typically include firewalls, antimalware, and antivirus software, as well as real-time threat monitoring.
Conclusion:
From extortion attempts to retaliation for political views — there are quite a lot of reasons why you might find yourself the target of a DDoS attack. Since they are easy to execute and extremely effective, DDoS attacks will only grow more popular and more complex to deal with. We must all recognize the threat they pose and implement security procedures that allow us to detect and neutralize them before any serious damage is done.
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