{"id":29139,"date":"2022-08-12T11:09:33","date_gmt":"2022-08-12T11:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/?p=29139"},"modified":"2026-03-18T05:03:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T05:03:22","slug":"ddos-vs-dos-attacks-whats-the-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easydmarc.com\/blog\/ddos-vs-dos-attacks-whats-the-difference\/","title":{"rendered":"DDoS vs. DoS Attacks: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The internet has made life easier and more convenient. But just like everything, it also has a downside\u2014 cybercrimes like DDoS attacks. As per a report, nearly <\/span>9.75 million DDoS attacks<\/span><\/a> were launched in 2021 by high-powered bot armies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lately, cyber actors have adopted new and refined technologies. For instance, the <\/span>tools used during DDoS attacks <\/span>are near impossible to trace, hence proving to be severely harmful. Even DoS attacks can cause significant damage.<\/span><\/p>\n

But <\/span>what is a DDoS attack<\/span> and how does it differ from a DoS attack?<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn <\/span>what the differences are between DoS and DDoS attacks <\/b>and some common practices to avert them.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Let\u2019s roll onto the first step of understanding<\/span> DDoS vs. DoS attacks<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A DoS attack is a \u201cdenial of service\u201d attack where hackers overwhelm a network or server with high-volume traffic emanating from a single system or computer. This typically results in your website, online platform, or application crashing for anywhere between 48 hours to 60 days or even more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bad actors flood a computer or network using TCP and UDP packets. The server can\u2019t handle the traffic, resulting in total system shutdown, corrupted data, and exhausted or misdirected resources. It becomes unavailable, thereby restricting legitimate users\u2019 access.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, whereas UDP is a non-connected protocol used for transmission over the internet.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Various types of DoS attacks exist, including the following:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Buffer Overflow Attacks<\/b><\/h3>\n

This common DoS attack occurs when bad actors weigh down a network address with volumetric traffic. This eventually disables the website and causes business loss.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ping of Death or ICMP Flood<\/b><\/h3>\n

DoS attacks exploit misconfigured or unconfigured network devices to transmit hoaxed data packets to ping every computer in the victim network.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SYN Flood<\/b><\/h3>\n

SYN flood attacks generate requests to connect to a server but leave it incomplete. This floods the network with too many connection requests, making a website unavailable to users.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Teardrop Attack<\/b><\/h3>\n

In a teardrop attack, cybercriminals transmit IP data packet pieces to a network, followed by a compilation process. The idea is to exhaust the system with the fragmented data packets that it can\u2019t reassemble, thus causing it to shut down.<\/span><\/p>\n

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

Now that you know what a DoS attack is, let\u2019s clear up the confusion between <\/span>DoS vs. DDoS attacks.<\/b><\/p>\n

So, first thing\u2019s first, <\/span>what is a DDoS attack<\/b>? Well, a DDoS or \u201cdistributed denial of service\u201d attack is the most common type of DoS attack. It\u2019s used to target a single system, network, website, or application with fraudulent traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hackers use multiple machines and computers to perform a DDoS incursion. Usually, a DDoS attack is executed remotely using multiple compromised systems called bots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, <\/span>how does a DDoS attack work<\/span><\/a>? Well, several bots work together to form a botnet handled by a bot herder. The bots target a website or application simultaneously, overloading the server with traffic and causing it to shut down. Bots include computers, smartphones, and IoT devices like connected appliances, smart home security systems, smart wearables, smart air conditioners, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the Differences Between DoS and DDoS Attacks?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Check out the comparison table below for a short summary of the main <\/span>differences between DoS vs. DDoS attacks.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
DoS Attacks<\/b><\/td>\nDDoS Attacks<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DoS is short for Denial-of-Service attacks.<\/span><\/td>\nDDoS stands for Distributed Denial-of-Service attack.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
It\u2019s used to crash a website by overwhelming the network with access requests from a computer.<\/span><\/td>\nThis method also crashes a targeted website and makes it unavailable to legitimate users.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
It uses a single system or computer.<\/span><\/td>\nIt uses multiple systems or computers.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
This attack method is relatively low in intensity.<\/span><\/td>\nIt\u2019s a very severe cyberattack.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DoS is a slow attack.<\/span><\/td>\nDDoS is faster in nature.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
You can easily spot it by checking the IP address of the attacking computer. Thus it can be blocked easily.<\/span><\/td>\nA DDoS attack is challenging to identify and prevent as multiple systems are involved. As such, it\u2019s difficult to block.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Corrupt data packets are sent from a single location.<\/span><\/td>\nCorrupt data packets are sent from multiple locations.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Its common types are:<\/span>\n
    \n
  • Buffer overflow attack<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Ping of death or ICMP flood<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Teardrop attack<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Flooding attack<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Its common types are:<\/span>\n