As IT Support services, we talk a lot about protecting your business. Ransomware and phishing attacks are discussed a lot, and it’s important that every business and employee stay vigilant. However, recently, Amazon, Google, and other companies have admitted having recently battled an onslaught of Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks.
DoS attacks are a type of cyberattack that aims to make a website or online service unavailable to its intended users. Whilst it sounds like it could be a problem mainly for big businesses, the attacks are aimed at businesses of all sizes. Anyone who provides integral service from their website is at risk of DoS attacks occurring.
There are two main types of DoS attack.
Whilst there are many ways that cyber-scallywags can cause problems for website users, DoS attacks come in two main forms: volumetric attacks and application layer attacks.
Volumetric DoS attacks involve flooding the target with so much traffic that it becomes overwhelmed and unable to respond to legitimate requests.
Application-layer attacks target specific vulnerabilities in applications running on the target system.
DoS attacks have a significant impact on the business. Rather than having to deal with the inconvenience of being locked out from your data that might be backed up, these attacks are targeted directly at the service. They cause downtime, disrupt operation, and can irreparably damage a businesses reputation. In many cases, DoS attacks lead to financial loss.
There are several steps businesses can take to protect themselves against DoS attacks:
Implement firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS). Firewalls can help to block malicious traffic from reaching your network, while IDS/IPS systems can help to detect, and block known DoS attacks.
Use a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN is a network of servers that can help to distribute your website's traffic across multiple locations. This can help to mitigate the impact of a DoS attack by making it more difficult for attackers to overwhelm your website's servers.
Implement load balancing. Load balancing can help to distribute traffic evenly across multiple servers. This can help to prevent any one server from becoming overloaded in the event of a DoS attack.
Monitor network traffic for signs of an attack. It is important to monitor your network traffic for signs of a DoS attack, such as sudden spikes in traffic or unusual patterns of traffic. If you detect any suspicious activity, you should contact your IT department or a security expert immediately.
Mitigating the attack:
Block the IP addresses of known attackers. If you are able to identify the IP addresses of the attackers, you can block them from accessing your network.
Use a DDoS mitigation service. There are a number of companies that offer DDoS mitigation services. These services can help to absorb and filter malicious traffic before it reaches your network.
Contact your internet service provider (ISP). Your ISP may be able to help you to mitigate the impact of a DoS attack by filtering malicious traffic at the network level.
By taking the necessary precautions, businesses can protect themselves from the devastating impact of DoS attacks.
Being mindful of DoS attacks.
Denying service to a company has no real benefit to the hacker. In many ways DoS attacks are simply anarchistic, and can cost the victim thousands in revenue. At this time of year, most businesses rely upon that service to help their business survive and grow.
If you are worried about potential DoS attacks, or would like more advice on mitigating the risk, contact us today on 01327 300 311 or email [email protected] with any enquiries.
Share this post: