If you’re a small business owner, or you run a website you care about, then cybersecurity is something you should be thinking about. You may think a cyberattack is something that could never befall you, but when you have a presence on the web, you could always be a target. In this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
A denial-of-service attack is a specific type of cyber attack, and it’s one of the most common out there today. If you’d like to learn more about what it entails, and what steps you can take to protect yourself from one, this guide can help. Read on to learn all about DoS attacks and DoS attack prevention now.
Why Cybersecurity Matters
Many small businesses tend to be overconfident in their thinking that a cyber attack will never befall them. However, this is a dangerous stance to take. While high-profile cyberattacks—such as the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack—do tend to focus on larger entities, cybercriminals aren’t leaving small businesses alone.
Quite the opposite. A majority of cyber attacks actually target small businesses. Smaller operations tend to have fewer resources to dedicate to cybersecurity, which makes them easier targets in the eyes of the attacker.
What Is a Denial-of-service Attack?
Of course, there are tonnes of different ways hackers or ne’er-do-well netizens can try to target your business. Phishing scams, malware, and password attacks are all things to be on the lookout for. But what about a denial-of-service attack?
A denial-of-service attack, or DoS, for short, is a pretty straightforward type of cyber attack. It takes little effort but can yield catastrophic results. So, how does it work?
A denial-of-service attack works by overwhelming a given server causing it to crash or malfunction. Think of too many people trying to log onto a website at once.
This can be done in a few different ways. Buffer overflow DoS attacks cause a machine to consume all available hard disk space, memory, or CPU time. In DoS Flood attacks the attacker sends multiple requests to the target server causing it to overload with traffic.
Signs of a Denial-of-service Attack
How can you know if your system is being targeted by a DoS attack? There are a few signs to look out for.
Is your network performing at an unusually slow rate? Are you experiencing long load times for files or websites? Has there been a sudden loss of connectivity across devices on the same network?
While these things alone don’t necessarily mean you’re being targeted with a DoS attack, they could be signs.
How to Prevent a Denial-of-service Attack
DoS attacks are tricky to prevent. But there are some steps you can take to mitigate your risk. First and foremost, make sure you have a disaster recovery plan in place in the event that you are targeted by any kind of cyber attack.
Beyond this, you might consider installing some sort of API protection. This can help detect and block unusual or malicious traffic coming into your system.
Protect Your Business Now
Following cybersecurity best practices is important, no matter what size your business may be. Take steps today to protect against a denial-of-service attack and any other type of cyber attack that could come your way. For more handy tips and tricks, see the rest of our content now.
