{"id":29080,"date":"2022-08-04T13:44:31","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T13:44:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=29080"},"modified":"2025-03-07T08:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T08:40:46","slug":"how-does-a-ddos-attack-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/how-does-a-ddos-attack-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How Does a DDoS Attack Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine your website goes down, and you aren’t aware of the cause! It can hamper your business significantly, especially if sales rely on your online presence. Such an event may even lead to angry customers and a deteriorated brand image.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The goal of a <\/span>DDoS attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is to do just that: Overwhelm a website or online service with the help of a botnet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, before jumping into understanding what a botnet is, let’s quickly know what a DDoS attack is and how it works.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a DDoS Attack?<\/b><\/h2>\n

In a <\/span>DDoS attack,<\/b> various compromised devices are remotely controlled to flood a website, server, or other networks with internet traffic and HTTP requests. The attack significantly slows down the website and sometimes crashes it, denying users access.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Botnet?<\/b><\/h2>\n

To understand <\/span>what a DDoS attack is and how it works<\/b>, you must first know about botnets. Botnets are networks of malware-infected computer, Internet of Things (IoT), or mobile devices typically used in the execution of DDoS attacks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBotnet\u201d is a combination of the words \u2018robot\u2019 and \u2018network.\u2019 Cybercriminals also use botnets to automate and perform mass attacks like data interception and encryption, malware distribution, corrupt code injections, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With botnets, hackers can cause system disruptions or execute scams. They do this by exploiting the normal or default functioning of network devices or services.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once multiple bots exist on the botnet, the bot herder instructs the compromised devices to perform actions using remote commands. These devices work vacuously without owners even knowing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does a Botnet Work?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Learning the workings of a botnet will help you comprehend <\/span>how DDoSing works<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Botnets accelerate and automate an attacker\u2019s ability to hijack an IT structure to attempt various <\/span>types of DDoS attacks<\/span>. They can hit multiple devices associated with a single network and cause significant disruption or system failure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A botnet is built when a threat actor exploits a system weakness to take remote control over a computer, IoT device (routers, smart speakers, IP cameras, etc.), or mobile device (smartphone, tablet, etc.).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is often accomplished by tricking users into downloading a trojan virus or malware through phishing emails, drive-by downloads, etc.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, <\/span>how does a DDoS attack work?<\/span><\/p>\n

Once infected, these compromised devices form a zombie network or botnet that hackers mobilize to attempt <\/span>DDoS attacks<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the other common operations conducted by botnets include:<\/span><\/p>\n