Distributed-denial-of-service attacs (DDoS) Attacks Explained: How They Work and How to Protect Yourself
In essence, and simply put, so-called distributed-denial-of-service attacks (DDoS) or plainly denial-of-service (DoS) attacks are targeting Internet-facing applications and IT services by blocking access to them for ordinary users for some time.
DDoS – How it works and how to protect your home
One of the largest DDoS attacks ever seen happened during Halloween 2024 when the total amount of traffic to one application reached as high as 5,6 Tbps (Terabits per second). To put this into perspective, imagine a heavily congested highway during rush hour where a sudden accident halts traffic for hours—this is how a DDoS attack clogs internet traffic.
The DDoS attack was initiated through a network of hacked Internet of Things device (IoT), estimated to be around 13 000 such devices. How to protect your home device and why criminals are interested in hacking them can be found through Home network and router security | NCSC-FI.
The reason for starting a DDoS attack varies with who is behind it and what they aim to do. Today it is rather cheap to buy the service from so-called DDoS-as-a-Service providers, starting as from 8 € for one hour.
DDoS attack types
The most common types of DDoS attacks are targeting either network devices, usually called network layer attacks or Layer 3 and 4 attacks, or application related attacks, also called Layer 7 attacks, targeting the application. Within these two classes there are numerous ways to start the attack. The easiest, based on how the protocol on the Internet is created, is to request a certain server to reply with some data, but instead to the sender it is sent directly to the target server for a DDoS attack. Doing this from thousands of compromised servers, IoT, workstations, or other devices will create a flood of data to the targeted server, exhausting it so no other access can be done by ordinary users.
The amount of DDoS’s is increasing
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and Finnish Traficom´s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) both highlight that the number of DDoS attacks is increasing. In a recent report from ENISA they show the number of DDoS attacks against European organization last year constituted 46% of all threats and out of them 12,5% were targeting the Financial Sector. According to NCSC, even if there has been some major impact to a bank in the Nordics no trust services have seen any prolonged disruptions, since they are rare.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools have helped lower the barrier for attackers to carry out large volume attacks with a higher sophistication to circumvent DDoS protection. AI is changing the landscape of cybersecurity. While AI enables attackers to automate and refine their tactics—mimicking legitimate traffic patterns and exploiting vulnerabilities—it is also a powerful tool for defense. Organizations are increasingly deploying AI-driven solutions to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks in real-time, ensuring resilience against evolving threats.
Strengthening Security and Resilience (S&R)
Mitigating DDoS threats requires a multi-layered approach that includes:
- Robust Network Protection: Firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and traffic filtering.
- Traffic Monitoring & AI-Based Detection: AI-powered threat analysis to detect attack patterns early.
- Scalable Infrastructure: Cloud-based mitigation solutions that absorb traffic spikes.
- Incident Response Planning: Rapid response strategies to minimize downtime.
Samlink can help you take proactive security measures to help build your resiliency so you can you respond quickly in the case of an attack.