Description: A denial of service (DoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a server, service, or network by overwhelming it with excessive requests. This type of attack aims to make the service inaccessible to legitimate users, which can result in financial losses and damage to the reputation of the affected organization. DoS attacks can be carried out in various ways, including sending massive traffic to a server or exploiting vulnerabilities in software to cause failures. In the context of cybersecurity, specific tools can be used to simulate DoS attacks and assess a system’s resilience against such threats. The importance of understanding these attacks lies in the increasing reliance of businesses on online services, where availability is crucial. Therefore, implementing appropriate security measures is essential to mitigate the risk of suffering a denial of service attack.
History: The concept of denial of service attack began to gain notoriety in the 1990s, when the first significant incidents were recorded. One of the most notable attacks occurred in 1996 when the website of the Internet security company eBay was attacked, leading to the temporary shutdown of its services. As technology advanced, so did the attack techniques, leading to more sophisticated variants such as DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that use multiple systems to carry out the attack. In 2000, a DDoS attack against the Internet service provider Mafiaboy affected several major websites, including CNN and eBay, highlighting the severity of the threat.
Uses: Denial of service attacks are primarily used to disrupt access to online services, which can be part of a broader attack of hacktivism, extortion, or unfair competition. They can also be employed in penetration testing to assess a system’s resilience against real attacks. In the field of cybersecurity, understanding how these attacks work allows organizations to implement effective defensive measures.
Examples: A famous example of a denial of service attack was the DDoS attack against GitHub in 2018, which reached a traffic of 1.35 terabits per second, making it one of the largest recorded attacks. Another notable case was the attack on Dyn in 2016, which affected many popular online services, including Twitter and Netflix, by compromising the DNS service of the company.
