What is a DDoS attack?

During a DDoS attack, a series of bots, or botnet, floods a website or service with HTTP requests and traffic. Essentially, multiple computers storm one computer during an attack, pushing out legitimate users. As a result, service can be delayed or otherwise disrupted for a length of time.

It’s possible that hackers can also infiltrate your database during an attack, accessing all kinds of sensitive information. DDoS attacks can exploit security vulnerabilities and be targeted at any endpoint that is reachable, publicly, through the internet.

Denial-of-service attacks can last hours, or even days. These cyber assaults can also cause multiple disruptions throughout a singular attack. Both personal and business devices are susceptible to them.

While there’s no one way to detect a DDoS attack, there are a few signs your network is under assault:

• You see a surge in web traffic, seemingly out of nowhere, that’s coming from the same IP address or range.
• You experience slow or irregular network performance.
• Your website, online store, or other service goes completely offline.

Modern software solutions can help determine potential threats. A network security and monitoring service can alert you to system changes so that you can respond quickly.

You also want to have a DDoS-attack action plan—with defined roles and procedures—so your team can take swift and decisive action against these threats. It’s important to remember that not all DDoS attacks are the same; you’ll need different response protocols in place to mitigate different attacks.

Before a cyberthreat is on your radar, you need to have a process for one in place. Preparedness is key to promptly detecting and remedying an attack.

You want to:

• Develop a denial-of-service defense strategy to help detect, prevent, and reduce DDoS attacks.
• Identify gaps in security and assess potential threats to your setup.
• Update any protection software or technology and ensure it’s working correctly.
• Get your team on board and assign roles in the event of an attack.

It’s essential that you boost your efforts with products, processes, and services that help you secure your business. That way, once a threat is detected, your team is knowledgeable and empowered to act on it.

Guard your network against future attacks. To help secure your business:

• Conduct a risk analysis on a regular basis to understand which areas of your organization need threat protection.
• Organize a DDoS-attack response team whose focus is to identify and mitigate attacks.
• Incorporate detection and prevention tools throughout your online operations, and train users on what to look out for.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of your defense strategy—including running practice drills—and determine next steps.

DDoS attack protection comes in many forms—from online resources to monitoring software to threat-detection tools. Learn how to thwart malicious attacks with the help of industry-leading, trusted Microsoft security experts.

Through securing your clouds and platforms, integrated security tools, and rapid response capabilities, Microsoft Security helps stop DDoS attacks across your entire organization.