Who here hasn't heard about DDoS? What exactly is DDoS? Is it dangerous? How does it happen? And how can it be mitigated?

A DDoS or Distributed Denial of Service attack is a cyber attack where fake traffic is continuously sent to a system or server. As a result, the server becomes overwhelmed in managing all the traffic, causing it to fail or go down. Typically, this type of attack targets networks, online services, and websites with the intention of preventing the server from accommodating the traffic, leading to the website being down and unable to operate. These attacks not only target individuals or specific companies but can also aim at higher sectors such as government sectors. Quite scary, right? So how can it be mitigated?

1. Increasing Server Resource Capacity

First, ensure that your company's website is supported with sufficient bandwidth capacity to handle traffic surges. Therefore, initially understand the traffic levels of your website, then prepare additional bandwidth that exceeds those needs to anticipate such attacks. However, this method is only intended to extend the time you have to handle the attack.

2. Monitoring Traffic

Conduct routine checks on server traffic activity. By doing so, it is hoped that you can understand traffic trends and distinguish between normal and high traffic.

3. Using DDoS Protection Services

In addition, preventive measures and installing effective DDoS protection systems are crucial to safeguard your website and network. Many hosting and cloud service providers already offer DDoS protection services.

4. Limiting IP Access

It is important to know that one way to mitigate DDoS attacks is by limiting IP access to the devices that need protection. You can create a list of IPs allowed to access your server or network. This way, visitors from unknown IPs will not be able to access your website or network.

5. Using CDN (Content Delivery Network)

You can also use a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which helps mitigate DDoS attacks by distributing website traffic to servers worldwide. Using a CDN, your website will be able to handle larger traffic volumes and reduce the risk of DDoS attacks.

6. Avoid Using Open Connection Protocols

Open connection protocols such as SNMP, DNS, and NTP can be exploited by attackers to carry out DDoS attacks. Be sure to close all unnecessary ports and only allow necessary connections to maintain your network's security.

7. Using a Strong Firewall

A robust firewall can help prevent DDoS attacks by blocking or intercepting suspicious traffic and protecting the network from unwanted malware attacks. Ensure that your firewall is properly configured and always updated with the latest definitions to avoid unwanted attacks.