Types of DDoS Attacks: Understand the Various Attack Forms

In today’s digital world, cyber threats are getting more complex. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are a big worry for companies. They can make online services unavailable, stopping users from accessing important resources.

DDoS attacks have different types, each with its own features and challenges. Some attacks flood networks with traffic, while others are sneaky and target specific applications. The world of cyber threats is changing fast.

It’s key to know about the different DDoS attacks to defend against them. Some attacks send millions of requests every second. Others use weaknesses in Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The emergence of advanced persistent DoS (APDoS) attacks has made things even harder, lasting for weeks.

We’ll look into how these attacks work, their effects, and how to prevent or lessen them. Knowing about these threats helps organizations protect themselves from DDoS attacks.

What Is a DDoS Attack?

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a cyber threat that overwhelms a target system with a massive volume of traffic. This traffic typically comes from a network of compromised devices, known as a botnet. It aims is to disrupt the availability of online services.

DDoS attacks have increased rapidly in scale and complexity. They typically fall into three main categories:

• Volumetric Attacks: Aim to saturate bandwidth, measured in gigabits per second (Gbps).
• Protocol Attacks: Exploit network infrastructure, measured in packets per second (pps).
• Application Layer Attacks: These target specific services, measured in requests per second (rps).

Common techniques include DNS amplification, SYN floods, and SQL injections, all of which exploit vulnerabilities in networks or applications. Attack motivations range from ideological to financial or political.

Understanding the Mechanism of DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks are a big threat to network security. They flood systems with too much traffic, making them hard to reach. In 2023, Vercara stopped 65,000 medium and large-sized DDoS attacks every day. This shows how important it is to have strong network security.

DDoS attacks often use botnets, which are networks of hacked devices. These can be IoT devices, servers, and more. Attackers use these botnets to send a lot of traffic. For example, the Mirai botnet used hacked IoT devices to launch big attacks.

To stop DDoS attacks, we need to know how they work. There are different types, like volumetric attacks that fill up bandwidth. There are also protocol attacks that target network weaknesses. Application-layer attacks aim to mess with specific services. Good file-sharing systems help keep data accessible during attacks. But, we need a full plan to protect against these threats.

DDoS attacks can hurt a business’s wallet. They can stop services, leading to lost sales and lost customer trust. It’s key to have strong network security to fight these threats. This includes watching traffic, using firewalls, and detecting intrusions. Knowing how DDoS attacks work helps organizations protect their online stuff better.

Volume-Based Attacks: High Traffic Floods

Volumetric attacks generate massive amounts of traffic to exhaust network bandwidth. These can exceed 1 terabit per second (Tbps) in extreme cases. In 2020, Cloudflare defended against a 2.3 Tbps attack targeting a gaming platform, while AWS faced a similar volume over three consecutive days.

Common volumetric methods include:

• UDP floods: Send large volumes of UDP packets to random ports.
• ICMP floods: Overload systems using ping requests.
• DNS query floods: Amplify traffic by exploiting open DNS servers.

These attacks can severely degrade service performance or cause complete outages, resulting in significant financial loss and potential reputational damage.

Protocol Attacks: Exploiting Network Protocols

Protocol attacks exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols, particularly at layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model. They target infrastructure like firewalls, load balancers, and routers.

Examples include:

• SYN floods: Exploit the TCP handshake process by sending repeated SYN requests without completing the connection.
• TCP floods: Use spoofed or malformed packets to exhaust server resources.
• Ping of Death: Sends oversized or fragmented packets to crash systems.

These attacks are measured in packets per second and often require deep inspection tools and rate-limiting techniques to mitigate effectively.

Application Layer Attacks: Targeting Specific Services

Application-layer DDoS attacks are among the most sophisticated forms of cyberattacks, as they closely mimic legitimate user behavior. This makes them especially challenging to detect and block using traditional security measures. These attacks target Layer 7 of the OSI model, which is responsible for handling web-based services, including websites and applications.

Unlike volumetric or protocol-based attacks, application-layer attacks generate low-volume but high-impact traffic designed to exhaust server resources. Some of the most common examples include:

• HTTP floods: Send a massive number of seemingly valid HTTP requests to overwhelm web servers.
• Cache-busting attacks: Bypass cached content to force servers to regenerate pages repeatedly.
• WordPress XML-RPC abuse: Leverage the XML-RPC API to initiate multiple requests and crash sites.
• TLS negotiation floods: Exploit the handshake process in secure HTTPS connections.

Because these attacks resemble normal activity, behavioral analysis and deep packet inspection are essential tools for identifying and mitigating them effectively.

Multi-Vector Attacks: Combining Methods

Multi-vector DDoS attacks combine multiple techniques, such as volumetric floods, protocol exploits, and application-layer attacks, to overwhelm targets from different angles simultaneously. By blending high-bandwidth data floods with subtle, application-level disruptions, attackers make it far more difficult for security systems to identify and neutralize the threat effectively.

For example, an attacker might saturate a network with traffic while also exploiting vulnerabilities in server protocols and sending application-layer requests that mimic legitimate user behavior. This layered approach allows them to bypass simple mitigation tactics and extend the duration and impact of the attack.

The growing sophistication of these threats is evident in recent trends. In 2024, DDoS attacks against financial firms surged by 154%. Meanwhile, 49% of gaming companies reported experiencing complex, multilayered attacks.

To counteract these evolving threats, organizations must adopt dynamic defense strategies. These include real-time monitoring, behavioral analytics, and multi-layered mitigation solutions that can adapt to changing attack patterns.

Risks and Consequences of DDoS Attacks

Distributed denial of service attacks are a big threat to businesses around the world. They can cause huge financial losses, with companies losing up to $20,000 per hour. A study by Kaspersky Lab found that a single DDoS attack can cost over $1.6 million on average.

These attacks do more than just hurt a company’s wallet. They can cause businesses to be down for days or even weeks. This can lead to lost productivity, recovery costs, and harm to a company’s reputation. In 2021, a VoIP provider lost nearly $12 million because of a DDoS attack.

To fight these risks, it’s important to have strong network security measures. Companies should know what normal network performance looks like. This way, they can spot and deal with attacks fast. This helps keep the business running smoothly.

Identifying DDoS Attack Patterns

Detecting DDoS attack patterns early is critical to mitigating their impact. Teams should monitor networks closely and watch for common indicators:

• Sudden traffic spikes: Unexpected increases in network traffic can signal a volumetric attack.
• High number of failed requests: Frequent errors like “502 Bad Gateway” indicate disruptions typical of ongoing attacks.
• Unusual traffic sources: Multiple simultaneous requests from suspicious or unusual IP addresses.
• Network performance issues: Slow response times or intermittent connectivity can suggest protocol-based attacks.
• Increased resource consumption: Unusually high CPU or bandwidth usage, suggesting malicious activity.

Leveraging behavioral analytics tools can significantly enhance detection by identifying and alerting teams to abnormal traffic patterns in real time. Continuous monitoring of network logs and traffic flow provides early warnings and helps teams quickly address threats.

Prevention Strategies for DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks pose a significant threat to businesses. In 2021, Amazon lost $34 million in just one hour due to a DDoS attack. To effectively protect your business, consider these proactive strategies:

• Cloud-based solutions: Use scalable cloud services capable of handling high traffic volumes. This distributes incoming requests evenly, preventing overload.
• Firewalls and Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): Deploy robust firewalls and WAFs that filter malicious traffic before it reaches your servers.
• Content Distribution Networks (CDNs): Spread your content across multiple servers globally, making it difficult for attackers to overwhelm any single point.
• Rate Limiting: Control the number of requests or connections allowed within a given timeframe, reducing the effectiveness of automated attacks.

By combining these measures, you establish multiple layers of defense. This significantly reduces your vulnerability and ensures your online services remain secure and available.

Response Solutions for Ongoing Attacks

When faced with ongoing DDoS attacks, organizations need quick and effective solutions. A good incident response plan is key. It should cover steps to spot the attack, confirm it, and take action.

Working with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) during an attack is helpful. ISPs often offer basic protection. But, specialized DDoS mitigation services offer stronger defenses. They can tell real traffic from fake, which is hard in complex attacks.

Using multiple defense layers is crucial. This includes rate limiting, web application firewalls, and blackhole routing. These methods help block unwanted traffic. Also, watching network traffic closely helps catch threats early.

After an attack, keep watching for odd activity. Regular drills help everyone know their part and find plan weaknesses. With these steps, businesses can lessen DDoS attack damage and keep their online presence safe.

Future Trends in DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks are changing fast. In Q1 2024, there were 4.5 million attacks stopped, up 50% from last year. This shows we need better ways to protect our networks.

More attacks are now targeting DNS, up 80% and making up 54% of attacks. This means hackers are going after the internet’s core. Also, HTTP attacks have jumped 93% in a year, showing a focus on web app weaknesses.

AI and IoT attacks might become more common. The biggest attack in 2024 was 2 terabits per second. It’s key for companies to keep up with these new threats to stay safe.

Staying Informed and Prepared

As DDoS threats grow, it’s key for businesses to stay ahead. In 2023, DDoS attacks jumped by 200% from 2022. This shows the urgent need for strong DDoS protection solutions.

DDoS attacks can last up to 68 minutes and cost $6,000 per minute for those without protection. This makes the risk very high.

You need a mix of strategies. Training employees is crucial, as 50% of IT pros say it boosts defense. Only 15% of companies do DDoS simulation tests to check their networks.

Cloud-based protection services have grown by 30%. They offer flexible ways to fight DDoS threats.

The ConnectWise Cybersecurity Suite helps MSPs with advanced threat detection and a fully staffed SOC. This is vital for a strong security plan. By being proactive, businesses can protect themselves from DDoS attacks. This keeps their operations, reputation, and profits safe.

Conclusion: Stay Ahead of DDoS Threats With Smarter Content Protection and DivShare

As DDoS attacks grow more sophisticated, businesses must move beyond awareness to action. From massive volumetric floods to targeted application-layer strikes, these threats can disrupt services and drain resources. They can also damage trust in a matter of minutes.

The key to resilience lies in understanding how these attacks work — and preparing your systems to handle them.

If your platform depends on smooth, uninterrupted access to digital content, protecting your media infrastructure is critical. That’s where DivShare comes in. Built for media hosting and content-heavy platforms, DivShare helps you deliver files reliably — even during high-traffic spikes or cyber disruptions. 

With secure file sharing, optimized performance, and built-in resilience, DivShare keeps your content flowing when it matters most.Don’t wait for an attack to expose your weak points — stay secure, stay online, and start sharing smarter with DivShare.