TechDogs-"Here’s Why You Need DDoS Protection Software"

IT Security

Here’s Why You Need DDoS Protection Software

By TechDogs Editorial Team

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Overview

Imagine you achieve your lifelong dream of opening an Italian restaurant. Your restaurant, called Pasta Hut, is right next to an existing pizza store (see what we did?). Most foodies who normally prefer pizza suddenly want to try the latest pasta in town. You’re happy with the success but the jealous owner of the pizzeria has a plan. He tells his friends (and they tell their friends and so on...) to simultaneously place orders at your restaurant. Suddenly, you’re getting an influx of orders – over calls, on the restaurant's website and through food-ordering apps! Overwhelming, right?

Isn’t it likely that the next day many genuine consumers would post negative reviews about how your delivery and service were super-slow? Some may even go to the pizza place next door. Even if you knew about the evil plan, you wouldn’t be able to identify the real customers from those who were accomplices of the pizza guy!

Well, this is precisely how a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack works. If you’re wondering what pasta has to do with this cybersecurity term, read on!
TechDogs-"Here’s Why You Need DDoS Protection Software"- 1200 New Visitors In The Last Hour
In the example above, a malicious actor overwhelmed your business system with targeted requests. This is also how Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks take place. DDoS attacks overrun a website or application with traffic that is delivered via botnets (short for robot networks) created using malware. These malicious requests cause an overload that affects the business and genuine users trying to access the system.

DDoS Protection Software prevents such attacks by monitoring the traffic and setting a baseline for normal traffic behavior. If incoming traffic begins to accelerate rapidly, the tool will detect abnormal activity and redirect suspicious traffic to a controlled source. Hence, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection Software assists companies in safeguarding their websites, applications and systems from DDoS attacks while preserving their positive reputation. (If you’re planning to open a restaurant next to a competitor, you may need this tool!)

Let’s dive into the saucy details!
 

What Is DDoS Protection Software?


A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack occurs when multiple bots flood the bandwidth or resources of a system so that it cannot deliver its normal service. DDoS attacks use more than one unique IP host address infected with malware, making it so much harder to stop. These attacks usually target the web or app servers of an organization to cripple them - the same way your Italian restaurant’s system was swarmed with orders it could not handle.

Hence, businesses need DDoS Protection Software to maintain steady service functionality, prevent the influx of malicious requests and proactively monitor traffic. It prevents DDoS attacks from causing failure of service. These tools are generally used on applications, servers and networks that need high uptime and reliability. By setting a baseline for normal traffic, these tools can quickly predict a potential DDoS attack.

With that, let’s look at how these tools evolved in the cybersecurity arena.
 

Evolution And Origins Of DDoS Protection Software


Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is one of the most dynamic cyber-attack vectors given that it has been used since the mid-1990s.

The 1996 DDoS attack on Panix, the first Internet service provider (ISP) in New York, served as a wake-up call. Its systems were inundated with requests coming from a spoof IP address. Due to this, the system's resources were depleted and it was unable to handle requests from authorized users. Panix took about 36 hours to get back online.

Then, in February 2000, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Dell, CNN and FIFA were subjected to a massive DDoS attack launched by Michael Calce, a Canadian teenager known online as "Mafiaboy."

DDoS attacks increased in speed in 2008 when the Anonymous hacker group used a 220Mbps attack to take down the Church of Scientology website.

On June 15, 2011, LulzSec, a well-known group of hackers, took down the CIA's official website from the Internet. They also organized a DDoS attack against the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA), a national law enforcement organization in the UK, five days later. DDoS attacks rose to prominence as the newest bad boy in the cybersecurity world at this time.

Then, cybercriminals started using IoT networks to carry out DDoS attacks. In October 2016, hackers used a botnet made up of thousands of IoT devices to attack Dyn, a well-known provider of online infrastructure. Sites such as Reddit, Etsy, Spotify, CNN and the New York Times were taken down by this attack, which was conducted at a speed of more than 1Tbps. (This is over 65,000 times faster than the existing 4G speeds!)

In August 2020, thousands of companies worldwide received threats of DDoS attacks from hacker communities such as Lazarus Group, Fancy Bear, Armada Collective, etc. They demanded up to 20 Bitcoin per organization in exchange for not executing a 2Tbps DDoS attack against them. That has to be super scary, right?

This highlights exactly why modern businesses are focused on developing and investing in DDoS Protection Software. This brings us to the “how” of DDoS Protection Software – excited?
 

How Does DDoS Protection Software Work?


TechDogs-"How Does DDoS Protection Software Work?" A Funny Meme About DDoS Attacks
DDoS protection works by analyzing and filtering website traffic to block unauthorized requests. Following verification, it processes the valid requests. If you're wondering how the tool can tell malicious requests from genuine ones, the tools keep track of normal behavior and traffic so they can spot a DDoS attack immediately. For example, customers complaining about the website loading slowly, the server being down, or the website not loading at all could all be signs of a DDoS attack.

The majority of tools also have analytics and reporting features. This provides thorough records of the DDoS attack's timing, speed and other details. Additionally, it can help in determining which part of the system was attacked, allowing companies to strengthen the security of that component.

Nothing gets past-a these tools - just like we cannot get past the benefits of DDoS Protection Software!
 

Benefits Of DDoS Protection Software


TechDogs-"Benefits Of DDoS Protection Software" A GIF About DDoS Attacks Being Everywhere
DDoS attacks are inevitable yet unpredictable, which is why you need to play it safe by leveraging DDoS Protection Software. The most significant advantage of this method of defense is that it can thwart cyber-attacks while allowing genuine visitors to access resources as they normally would. DDoS Protection Software uses traffic analysis to prevent requests from malicious users from reaching your system directly. This limits the impact of the attack and allows you to maintain normal traffic. Hence, the customer experience remains unaffected.

Having DDoS Protection Software is a proven way to protect your reputation. A long-term impact of DDoS attacks is that your site’s reputation and trust go down dramatically. We mean, wouldn’t you be less likely to use a site after it crashed and burned due to a DDoS attack? This dip in traffic could be harmful to businesses that rely on ad revenue from site visits. Investing in DDoS Protection Software is a small price to pay for the potential long-term costs!

Lastly, with DDoS Protection Software, you’ll be able to identify and better mitigate DDoS attacks. Most tools provide detailed reports, alerts and other valuable information on attempted DDoS attacks, including how to bolster your system against future attacks.
Talking of the future…
 

What’s The Future Of DDoS Protection Software?


There are endless pasta-bilities for the future! What we know for sure is that DDoS attacks will be more frequent. In 2019, there were roughly 7.6 billion active botnets, which is expected to triple to 24.1 billion by 2030. Moreover, we will see advancements in DDoS attack techniques, such as DNS amplification which would allow hackers to send small queries and magnify them to generate a huge load of malicious traffic. Heck, if that wasn’t scary enough, DDoS attacks may soon be deployed through ransomware-as-a-service. (Even hackers are adopting the SaaS model now!)

Taking all this into consideration, vendors of DDoS Protection Software will have to step up their game to be on par with new DDoS attack vectors. More effective traffic monitoring and DDoS response strategies will be needed. Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence will play a major role in filtering out fake requests. Businesses will also explore setting up backup servers for additional traffic, being updated about security vulnerabilities and better monitoring of server traffic. We are sure every business will look to secure themselves using DDoS protection tools in the near future.
 

Conclusion


TechDogs-"Conclusion" A Funny Meme About The Pizza Guy Delivering A DDoS Attack As Mentioned In The Article
Your competitor (remember the pizza guy?) or other bad actors may try to inundate your systems through Distributed Denial of Service attacks. Moreover, DDoS attacks are becoming more widespread, meaning more effective strategies are required to defend against them. One technology that will remain at the forefront is DDoS Protection Software. This tool plays a crucial role in the analysis and filtering of website traffic to prevent unauthorized requests.

In a nutshell, DDoS Protection Software is the ravi-only one for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is DDoS Protection Software?


DDoS Protection Software is a vital cybersecurity tool designed to defend against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks occur when multiple bots flood a system's bandwidth or resources, rendering it incapable of delivering normal service. DDoS attacks typically target web or app servers, aiming to disrupt their functionality. DDoS Protection Software monitors and analyzes incoming traffic, establishing a baseline for normal behavior. When traffic deviates from this baseline, indicating a potential attack, the software identifies and redirects suspicious traffic, ensuring uninterrupted service and safeguarding against malicious requests.

Evolution And Origins Of DDoS Protection Software


The history of DDoS attacks traces back to the mid-1990s, with notable incidents highlighting their disruptive potential. Attacks like the 1996 assault on Panix and the 2000 attacks on prominent websites underscored the need for robust protection measures. Over the years, DDoS attacks have evolved in complexity and scale, with cybercriminals exploiting new techniques and leveraging IoT networks for large-scale assaults. The continuous evolution of DDoS threats has driven the development and adoption of advanced DDoS Protection Software, emphasizing the importance of proactive defense strategies in today's cybersecurity landscape.

How Does DDoS Protection Software Work?


DDoS Protection Software operates by scrutinizing and filtering website traffic to identify and block unauthorized requests. By establishing patterns of normal traffic behavior, the software can swiftly detect deviations indicative of a DDoS attack. Upon detection, the software mitigates the attack by redirecting malicious traffic and ensuring legitimate requests are processed seamlessly. Additionally, DDoS Protection Software offers analytics and reporting capabilities, providing insights into attack details and facilitating enhanced security measures. Through its proactive monitoring and response mechanisms, DDoS Protection Software effectively safeguards against DDoS attacks, preserving system integrity and ensuring uninterrupted service availability.

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