What is a DDoS Attack?

DoS attacks attempt to exhaust the victim's resources. These resources can be network bandwidth, computing power, or operating system data structures. To launch a DDoS attack, malicious users first build a network of computers that they will use to produce the volume of traffic needed to deny services to computer users. To create this attack network, attackers discover vulnerable sites or hosts on the network. Vulnerable hosts are usually those that are either running no antivirus software or out-of-date antivirus software, or those that have not been properly patched. Vulnerable hosts are then exploited by attackers who use their vulnerability to gain access to these hosts. The next step for the intruder is to install new programs (known as attack tools ) on the compromised hosts of the attack network. The hosts that are running these attack tools are known as zombies , and they can carry out any attack under the control of the attacker. Many zombies together form what we call an army

What You Need to Know

There are four things you need to know right now about DDoS attacks:

1.The numbers of threats continue to grow. There are roughly 50 million attacks every year, which calculates to one to two attacks every second of every day.

2.Attacks are getting more complex and strike many different parts of a company’s network, often simultaneously.

3.DDoS threats are more dangerous in scope and objective. Two-thirds of attacks are one gigabit-per-second (Gbps) or greater, and criminals now use DDoS attacks as diversions to mask illegal activities such as fraud and theft.

4.Costs associated with DDoS attacks are soaring. The financial services industry, for example, lost an estimated $17M per DDoS attack in 2012.

How a DDoS Attack Impacts You

The impact of a DDos Attack to your business is costly and wide-ranging, and includes:

• Recovery costs, such as detection and emergency mitigation
• Indirect costs, such as lost productivity and brand reputation
• Opportunity costs, such as customer churn and lost business opportunities