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Home / Glossary / DDoS
Glossary · Security

DDoS

Distributed Denial of Service

In plain language

The same flood of traffic as a denial-of-service attack, but sent from thousands of hijacked devices at once.

The metaphor

Like a thousand prank callers phoning the same shop at the same moment, so blocking one number does nothing.

Going deeper

How it works

  • The attacker controls a large set of infected devices, often cameras and routers.
  • Each sends a small amount, and together they overwhelm the target.
  • Because the traffic comes from everywhere, blocking one source does not help.
  • Defence means a network large enough to absorb and filter the flood.
In practice
  • An online store loses a weekend of sales when its site is knocked offline.
  • A hosting provider asks a client to move because their site is drawing a flood.
  • A business gets an email demanding payment to stop an attack.

A question owners ask

Should I pay if someone threatens to take my site down?

Do not pay. Tell your hosting provider, keep the message, and have the traffic filtered.

Related terms
AAAAuthentication, Authorization, and AccountingAccount takeoverACLAccess Control ListAdmin accountAESAdvanced Encryption StandardAES-256Advanced Encryption Standards 256-bitAISAutomated Indicator SharingAPTAdvanced Persistent Threat

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