Prevent DDoS Attacks in 4 Steps

Do you know how DDoS attacks work? Understanding the dynamics of this type of threat is crucial for adopting effective data protection and security policies.

After all, mastering this knowledge will make it easier to adopt other, more robust strategies capable of addressing the right points. Want to understand how a denial-of-service attack works?

To learn more details about how it works and the best methods to block DDoS attacks, keep reading this post!

What are DDoS attacks?

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, also known as distributed denial-of-service attacks, are threats aimed at making web systems—websites, online services, and other network infrastructures—unavailable.

The main characteristic of DDoS attacks is sending a large number of requests to a single server in a short period, causing congestion that makes access difficult or impossible.

There are common methods where DDoS attacks are typically observed, the main ones being:

• Use of networks of infected devices (such as IoT devices, routers, and regular computers), which are triggered to send multiple data packets continuously to a single server (known as botnets);
• Invasion of network equipment and modification of its configurations so that traffic is directed to a single server.

Since the early 2010s, the rise of cybercrime activism has spurred the resurgence of DDoS attacks, leading to various innovations in digital security.

Nowadays, these attacks have evolved into hard-to-detect forms, targeting applications, bypassing corporate security infrastructures, and tricking firewalls to achieve their goal.

How does a DDoS Attack work?

Now that you know what a DDoS attack is and how it works by overwhelming and preventing a system from functioning properly, let's dive into how this process is more complex than it seems.

A DDoS attack starts when a continuous and coordinated stream of false access requests is created, whether to access a computer or a server.

This causes the target to be flooded with false and endless requests, making it unable to handle the legitimate demands.

Among these requests are the legitimate ones from users without malicious intentions who genuinely want to consume the content offered on a page. In other words, these users end up being harmed by bad actors.

It is worth mentioning that DDoS attacks often use an extensive network of zombie computers (botnets). These machines are already infected with malware and serve as a tool to generate even more false access requests to a given target.

These zombie machines are directly connected to one or several master computers, which are controlled by a cybercriminal. The master computers command the zombies, making them all simultaneously request access to a target, causing the problems you're already familiar with.

Why do companies need to protect themselves from DDoS attacks?

As you've likely gathered, DDoS attacks can cause significant damage to companies. One of the most concerning consequences is the inability to provide services to customers.

Without a functioning infrastructure, a company loses contracts and misses out on revenue.

When successful, a DDoS attack can weaken a company’s image, as brands offering a positive experience gain more consumer trust, position themselves ahead of competitors, and retain customers more easily.

In Brazil, special attention must be given to DDoS attacks, as the number of these attacks continues to grow.

But you and your business aren't completely exposed; there are practical and effective ways to prevent such attacks. Here’s how:

4 Steps to Protect Yourself from DDoS Attacks

It’s natural to be concerned after reading the previous sections and to seek ways to recognize and protect your website or online business from all types of DDoS attacks.

If you're wondering how to do this, follow the tips below to shield your website and avoid online issues.

After all, if you're not online, visitors can't find your business, and you may end up losing traffic and even money.

1. Apply blackhole routing Blackhole routing is an efficient strategy! It reduces the impact of DDoS attacks by redirecting false requests to an invalid IP address.In this case, there is no distinction between legitimate and malicious access requests.The main downside of blackhole routing is that it doesn't directly solve the problem. It blocks both legitimate and malicious IPs simultaneously, so it should only be used in emergencies and for a short time to prevent other IPs from being affected by the attack.
2. Disable network protocol settings To effectively reduce the impact of DDoS attacks, certain network protocols can be disabled or reconfigured.These protocols mainly relate to managing the routing of packets. When done correctly, the company can reduce the attack's impact and ensure that only legitimate packets are accepted.The IT manager should focus on the source of the attack and primarily block malicious IPs. Infrastructures accessed mainly by national IPs, for instance, can benefit from this approach when attacks come from foreign IPs.After all, the damage caused by blocking foreign IPs will be minimal.
3. Adopt an effective anti-DDoS solution While temporary solutions, like those mentioned above, can reduce the impacts of an attack in the short term, they don't solve the root of the problem.Specialized solutions in attack mitigation are the best alternatives your company can adopt to block a DDoS attack. These solutions continuously monitor your network infrastructure, allowing threats to be quickly blocked, keeping the network available even during the attack.Look for solutions that inspect inbound and outbound traffic based on each network's profile, using intelligent algorithms that allow the identification and blocking of malicious packets.
4. Identify malicious requests Another measure that can enhance protection, aside from differentiating malicious traffic through request detection, is to identify such requests by executing web pages faster than legitimate users.There are no specific tools to solve the problem due to the variety of DDoS vectors.However, proactive security strategies can be implemented by the IT team to mitigate the threat and ensure that companies suffer minimal damage.

Follow these tips, stay vigilant, and protect yourself from malicious web attacks

DDoS attacks are far more common than one might think. Numerous attacks of this kind happen daily, disrupting entire systems and harming large corporate groups and their customers.

And if you're online, it's highly recommended to take precautions to avoid setbacks like these. Seek help from hosting companies and IT professionals to arm yourself with the best tools.

Now that you know how DDoS attacks occur and how they can interfere with your organization's digital security, it’s time to protect your business!

BugHunt can help with that. Don't risk losses—be proactive and explore our platform!