In a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, an attacker overwhelms its target with unwanted internet traffic so that normal traffic can’t reach its intended destination.
But what does that really mean? Imagine your favorite zombie movie. Swarms of infected creatures all with the same goal — to overwhelm civilization as they spread their “zombie plague.” They swamp the resources of law enforcement organizations, deplete military forces, and take down healthcare services. Then, inevitably, there’s a giant traffic jam sprawling as far as the eye can see, as people flee for safety on the highway. That’s what a DDoS attack is like: a zombie apocalypse online. But instead of zombies, hordes of infected computers go after a targeted website, all at the same time — driving humans and business away.
A DDoS attack on a company’s website, web application, APIs, network, or data center infrastructure can cause downtime and prevent legitimate users from buying products, using a service, getting information, or any other access.
During a DDoS attack, attackers use large numbers of exploited machines and connected devices across the internet. including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, smartphones, personal computers, and network servers to send a flood of traffic to targets.