How to Stop a DDoS Attack with Effective Mitigation and Prevention Software

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a type of cyberattack that uses the distributed power of many compromised machines to flood the target system with requests, overwhelming the system and preventing it from functioning. DDoS attacks are a complex form of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, which only come from one source. 

To create a DDoS attack, bad actors will design a variety of malware programs and viruses to flood your network from multiple directions, overwhelming your server’s capacity to function and potentially leading to a partial or total shutdown of operations.

All DDoS attacks share the same strategy of multiple server-induced cyberattacks, but DDoS attacks can take a variety of forms. Common DDoS attacks include:

• Volumetric attacks flood network ports with excess data
• Protocol attacks slow down intra-network communication
• Application attacks overwhelm web traffic and other application-level operations

Both Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks aim to disrupt the normal functioning of a computer system or network. However, they go about this in slightly different ways.

A DoS attack emanates from a solitary source or location and, thus, typically occurs on a smaller scale. Plus, since all the requests will be coming from the same place, it’s usually easier to identify the source of a DoS attack compared to the source of a DDoS attack.

On the other hand, a hacker will harness a multitude of computers or devices to inundate a target network with an overwhelming volume of traffic in a DDoS attack. These compromised devices can be distributed across the globe, forming a vast network of infected machines—and this expansive network of compromised devices increases the potency of the assault when compared to DoS attacks, enabling hackers to mount attacks on larger and more robust targets. Moreover, the distributed nature of DDoS attacks makes pinpointing the origin of the attack more difficult. Since the onslaught of traffic will originate from numerous remote locations, discovering the precise source and thwarting attacks will take more time and energy.

In essence, both DDoS and DoS attacks share the overarching goal of causing disruptions, but the distinction lies in the scale, method, and source of the attack. DDoS attacks leverage a global network of compromised devices for large-scale disruption, while DoS attacks are more localized, originating from a single source or a few sources, which allows for faster source identification but may result in less impactful disruptions.

DDoS attacks come in various forms, each targeting different layers of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model to disrupt network services and overwhelm a target. From protocol attacks, which overwhelm equipment and infrastructures by sending large amounts of traffic to their target, to volumetric attacks, which use amplification techniques to eat up all available bandwidth, there are a lot of DDoS attacks organizations need to be aware of.

Here are some of the most common types of DDoS attacks:

• Application Layer Attacks: Also called layer 7 DDoS attacks, application layer attacks are designed with the primary objective of depleting the target’s resources to the point of causing a denial-of-service situation. These attacks focus on the seventh layer of the OSI model, which is the application layer. This layer is where web pages are generated on the server and delivered as responses to HTTP requests—and hackers can overwhelm systems with traffic, which is difficult to distinguish from legitimate requests, making mitigation efforts complex and demanding.

• Presentation Layer Attacks: HTTP/S flood attacks occur in the Presentation Layer (the sixth layer of the OSI model) and involve a massive number of HTTP or HTTPS requests. Web servers receive so many requests that web applications will become inaccessible.

• Session Layer Attacks: In layer five, the session layer, organizations may face SSL/TLS attacks. Here, attackers will use resource-intensive SSL/TLS handshakes to exhaust server resources and target the cryptographic protocols used for secure connections.

• Transport Layer Attacks: In the transport layer, organizations need to be wary of SYN flood attacks (when a large number of TCP SYN requests overwhelm the server’s ability to establish connections) and UDP flood attacks (when servers receive too many UDP packets).

• Network Layer Attacks: Common network layer attacks include ICMP flood attacks and smurf attacks. ICMP flood attacks involve a barrage of ICMP packets that consume bandwidth, while smurf attacks mean attackers will forge the source IP address of ICMP echo requests and send them to broadcast addresses, forcing many hosts to reply and increasing traffic.

• Data Link Layer Attacks: Media Access Control (MAC) flooding attacks occur on the data link layer and can compromise network switches’ security.

• Physical Layer Attacks: Bad actors can also attack their target’s network infrastructure with a high volume of traffic to overwhelm physical resources like routers and switches.

Early DDoS detection is critical for businesses because it can help protect the functioning and security of a network. Networks without a robust DDoS defense strategy may have trouble defending against the wide range of DDoS attacks, which can be difficult to trace.

Some DDoS attacks are sophisticated enough to successfully shut down large servers. Companies have lost web traffic and customer confidence due to DDoS attacks that entirely disabled their networks.

DDoS attacks are constantly evolving, and a well-defended server should employ the most cutting-edge defenses to protect against cyberattacks. Diagnosis tools are an important factor in DDoS protection, but they should not be your only tool—DDoS attacks can be difficult to extract once they have infected the network, so a strong anti-DDoS architecture should include preventative software built to trigger alerts and provide helpful diagnostics that inform when potential threats are identified.

DDoS malware is in a constant state of innovation, so DDoS detection tools must remain updated to identify the newest threat formats and addresses.

DDoS prevention & detection tools are designed to offer features that work to provide a united defense of your network’s security by tracking event logs of devices on the network to identify and trigger alerts if certain thresholds are met. DDoS detection tools like SolarWinds SEM can offer out-of-the-box correlation rules related to internet control message protocol (ICMP) as well as the ability to generate comprehensive reports to support in-depth threat diagnosis.

DDoS attacks can severely disrupt networks, necessitating proactive measures for prevention and mitigation. To safeguard against these attacks:

1. Differentiate Between Normal and Abnormal Traffic: Understand your network's baseline to identify and filter out malicious traffic effectively.
2. Recognize Warning Signs: Be vigilant for slow websites, connectivity issues, server errors, resource spikes, and viruses as potential indicators of a DDoS attack.
3. Deploy Robust Firewalls: Use firewalls strategically to analyze and block malicious traffic, enhancing defense against DDoS attacks.
4. Reduce Vulnerability Surface: Minimize attack points by using load balancers, CDNs, and compartmentalization. Restrict traffic geographically and eliminate unnecessary services.
5. Plan for Scale: Ensure infrastructure scalability to absorb increased traffic volumes during DDoS attacks. Regularly conduct assessments and stress tests.
6. Collect, Analyze, and Monitor Logs: Continuously assess network and system behavior through real-time log analysis to detect and respond to DDoS attacks effectively.
7. Develop a Resiliency Plan: Have a comprehensive recovery plan, including incident response steps, communication protocols, and timelines for system restoration after a successful DDoS attack.
8. Implement Rate Limiting: Restrict network traffic volume within specified limits to prevent flooding from specific IP addresses and mitigate DDoS attacks.
9. Educate and Train Employees: Foster a security-aware culture among staff to recognize and respond to DDoS attack warning signs promptly.
10. Use Reliable Tools: Invest in reputable DDoS detection, prevention, and mitigation solutions that align with your needs. Consider scalability, real-time monitoring, and automatic threat response capabilities for effective defense. Conduct thorough research and seek advice from cybersecurity experts.

SolarWinds Security Event Manager uses a multilayered approach to DDoS detection. SEM is widely known for its SIEM log monitoring, but it is also equipped with extensive capabilities for anti-malware threat detection and blocking.

SolarWinds SEM is designed to detect exterior threats like DDoS attacks by collecting, normalizing, and correlating logs from across your system to provide deeper visibility and more easily catch patterns that could signal an attack. If a threat is detected, SEM can alert admins as well as deploy automatic responses to block activity and sever connections as needed.

SolarWinds SEM is also built to compare log events against an automatically-updated Threat Intelligence Feed to help detect DDoS attacks, as well as other forms of malware, viruses, and spam.

Other related features that the tool offers include:

• Botnet Detection Tool
• Cross Site Scripting Prevention
• Detect SQL Injection Attacks
• Cyberthreat Intelligence
• Identify Spear Phishing Attacks
• Ransomware Detection Software
• Threat Prevention
• Threat Detection
• Identity Monitor