Legal Definitions - DDOS

A Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic from multiple compromised computer systems. The "distributed" aspect means the attack originates from numerous sources, often a network of "botnets" (compromised computers controlled by an attacker), making it difficult to identify and block the malicious traffic. The ultimate goal is to make the target resource unavailable to its intended users.

• Example 1: Online Retailer Disruption

  Imagine a popular online clothing store, "FashionForward.com," is preparing for its biggest annual sale. Just as the sale goes live, a malicious group launches a DDoS attack. Thousands of compromised computers from around the world simultaneously attempt to access FashionForward's website, sending an enormous volume of fake requests. This overwhelming traffic clogs the website's servers, preventing legitimate customers from browsing products, adding items to their cart, or completing purchases.

  This illustrates a DDoS attack because the website's service is denied to its users (customers) due to a distributed flood of malicious traffic, making it impossible for the servers to handle genuine requests.

• Example 2: Government Service Interruption

  A city's online portal, "CityConnect.gov," which residents use to pay utility bills, apply for permits, and access public records, suddenly becomes inaccessible. An attacker, perhaps an activist group or a foreign entity, has orchestrated a DDoS attack, directing a massive amount of junk data and connection requests from a network of infected devices towards the portal's servers. Residents attempting to log in receive error messages or experience extremely slow loading times, effectively cutting off access to essential municipal services.

  This demonstrates a DDoS attack as the city's online services are rendered unavailable to the public because the servers are overwhelmed by a distributed barrage of illegitimate network traffic.

• Example 3: Live Streaming Platform Crash

  During a highly anticipated global esports championship, the streaming platform "GameStream Live" experiences a sudden outage. Millions of viewers worldwide are unable to connect to the live broadcast, or those who are connected suffer from constant buffering and disconnections. Investigation reveals that a rival group or disgruntled individuals launched a DDoS attack, using a large botnet to flood GameStream Live's servers with so much data that the platform's infrastructure cannot cope, preventing legitimate viewers from watching the event.

  This exemplifies a DDoS attack because the live streaming service is denied to its global audience due to a coordinated, distributed attack that overloads the platform's network resources with excessive, malicious traffic.