How to protect yourself from DDoS attacks

In 2016, their speeds exceeded 1 Tbps, which indicates a lightning-fast impact on systems and poses even more threats. But there is a way out. How to protect yourself in the face of DDoS attacks - we'll talk about this in the article. 

What does a DDoS attack mean?

A denial of service or DDoS attack is a set of actions that are aimed at artificially overloading the server of a site, application, or any other Internet site, which leads to a partial or complete cessation of their work for the duration of the attack. Its purpose is to restrict or completely close access to the system for ordinary network users. 

Since the attack comes from different sources and the ocean of requests flies literally from everywhere, it is extremely difficult to stop it. But as soon as the attack ends, it will be enough to reboot all the nodes to which it was directed, and they will again be operational. 

There are several types of DDoS attacks, each of which affects the system at a different level. 

How to protect yourself from an attack at different stages?

The best protection option is prevention. To prevent DDoS attacks on the system is necessary.

Increase Throughput

If you can increase the bandwidth yourself, this will protect the system from attack. But it cannot be said that this is a 100% guarantee against any attempts by intruders. Everything will depend on their ability to scale the attack at the time of its implementation and on how voluminous it will be initially. 

Delegate responses

Most companies can afford to delegate some of the answers to their ISP or a special service that provides similar services. Then, when attacking the server, part of the traffic will be redirected to them, unloading the system and preventing it from failing. It is important to correctly draw up an agreement for the provision of such services so that at the time of the attack, protection is made. 

Build a plan

Planning is important in every business, and DDoS attacks are no exception. 

Before attacking:

• consider what actions each employee should perform during an attack;
• prescribe schemes with the location of all localizations;
• find a provider or company to which you can delegate part of the answers;
• consider who should be notified about the attack, if it starts;
• plan responses to user questions during an attack.

During an attack, you should:

• make sure that this is a DDoS attack, determine its type and scope;
• notify all responsible persons about the beginning of the attack;
• contact the company that deals with the delegation of responses. 

After the attack follows:

• collect as much data as possible about what happened; 
• analyze the received information;
• improve the quality of system protection. 

Print out and distribute a plan of action to each employee so that everyone is aware of the correct course of action before, during, and after an attack. 

Don't neglect safety!

Unfortunately, DDoS attacks are not just about stopping your site for users for a short period. This is a full-blown defeat that can lead to a prolonged lack of access to your company's resources. This will lead to a worse user experience, fewer sales, lost profits, and additional costs to restore customer confidence. Be careful and work on prevention!