{"id":61516,"date":"2021-04-09T04:08:14","date_gmt":"2021-04-09T10:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/?p=61516"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:24:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:24:46","slug":"cyber-attack-guide-ddos-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/cyber-attack-guide-ddos-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Cyber Attack Guide \u2013 DDoS Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quite a lot of people plunge head-first into their new project and try to build their first websites without considering all the factors involved. Security <\/strong>is overlooked alarmingly often, and as a result, far too many projects come to a quick and completely avoidable end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example, DDoS attacks<\/strong> are widespread and have been around for ages. Yet, many admins don’t have even the most basic understanding of what they are and how they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s see if we can fix this…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The State of Cybersecurity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2017<\/strong>, researchers from the University of Maryland <\/strong>estimated that worldwide, on average, a cyber attack is launched every 39 seconds<\/strong>. More than likely, hacking attempts<\/strong> are even more frequent today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020,<\/strong> during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Swiss authorities reported three times the usual number of cyber attacks<\/strong>. The fact of the matter is, with or without a global pandemic, cybercrime is a massive business that reaps hacked a lot of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ransomware operators<\/strong> encrypt users’ and organizations’ files and extort money in exchange for their data. Malicious cryptomining scripts<\/strong> put enormous loads on unsuspecting victims and consume vast quantities of electric power to line miscreants’ pockets. Hackers breach business organizations to steal personal and sensitive data, which is then brokered and abused in all manner of ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don’t even need to have any advanced technical skills<\/strong> to target an attack at someone. All you have to do is go to a hacking forum, pay someone for a DDoS service, and aim it at a site or server of your choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are DDoS Attacks?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to make a distinction between different types of cyber attacks. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the goal of a DDoS attack isn’t to alter the way your site looks or steal user data. Beefing up your site’s admin password or updating your CMS<\/strong><\/a> will do little to protect you from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDoS<\/strong> stands for Distributed Denial of Service<\/strong>, and, as the “Denial of Service”<\/em> bit suggests, the goal of such an attack is to deny user access to a service or a resource. In other words, it’s supposed to knock your website offlin<\/strong>e or, at the very least, severely disrupt its performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do DDoS Attacks Work?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ultimate goal of a DDoS attack is to overwhelm the website and the underlying infrastructure with fake traffic<\/strong>. In very basic terms, the attacker sends an enormous number of requests to a targeted site and puts a load on the hosting machine. If the junk traffic becomes too much, the server struggles to process all requests and eventually goes offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DDoS is one of the cheapest forms of cybercrime<\/strong>, and because attacks don’t result in any direct data theft, many people are left with the misconception that it is relatively harmless. In light of this, you may be amazed to learn how much effort goes into creating the infrastructure that powers DDoS attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DDoS lifecycle starts long before the target is even identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the attacker needs to create a botnet<\/strong> \u2013 a vast network of compromised computers, servers, and other internet-connected devices. Cybercriminals infect thousands of nodes (often referred to as zombies<\/em>) and control them via a Command & Control (C&C)<\/strong> server<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The malware they use is usually pretty stealthy, and users are none the wiser to its existence. When the C&C sends instructions, the zombie starts sending as many requests as possible to the targeted server<\/strong>. Multiply this by thousands, and you have an enormous traffic spike. If the target is unprepared – it doesn’t stand any chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The motives behind DDoS attacks are extremely diverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cybercriminals can use DDoS as retaliation, often employing it to make a point<\/strong> or draw attention to a particular problem<\/strong>. Every now and again, you might find business organizations aiming DDoS attacks at their competitors, especially prevalent in the gaming community<\/strong>. Far too often, cybercriminals may DDoS a website or a server even out of pure spite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever the motive, DDoS is a serious threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every second of downtime and every user disappointed with your website’s performance is costing you money<\/strong>. Frequent, prolonged, or severe DDoS attacks could cause major damage, so you need to be familiar with the threat and know what you can do to protect yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of DDoS Attacks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The goal and general principles of all DDoS attacks may be the same, but the techniques, technologies, and scope of damages vary wildly. Some categorization of DDoS attacks and the problems they cause should give you a clearer understanding of how the threat works and what system administrators should look out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are three general categories of DDoS attacks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n