Have you ever attempted to access a certain web page and found it entirely unresponsive? In most instances, the reason for the unresponsive web page was due to a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS). DDoS attacks flood a website with excessive amounts of false or bogus traffic, which can render the website's server completely unresponsive to real users. Luckily, hosting providers have developed methods to combat DDoS attacks when they happen. Let’s discuss them in more detail.
How can hosting providers prepare for DDoS attacks? They have different DDoS protection strategies that will combat hackers.
If the hosting provider sees something that seems odd, such as a computer sending thousands of requests in one second, that request is simply ignored. The goal of filtering is to keep any and all illicit traffic away from the main site these requests are targeting.
Think of it this way; it is like having 10 people to help serve 10,000 visitors, rather than just one person. This means the website stays speedy and does not crash.
As an example, if someone was to refresh a page hundreds of times, the system would block that user from the page because it would say, "whoa, that's too many requests."
Thus, no single server becomes flooded, and the website continues operating.
What Is a DDoS Attack?
To visualize a DDoS attack, imagine you invite a few friends into your house, and suddenly thousands of uninvited people show up. They would block your door and make it impossible for your invited guests to enter. This is similar to what a DDoS attack is. Hackers generate an extremely high amount of traffic to a website and render it inaccessible to real users.How can hosting providers prepare for DDoS attacks? They have different DDoS protection strategies that will combat hackers.
1. Traffic Filtering: Block The Fake Visitors
The most immediate response the hosting provider will make to a DDoS attack is to review all incoming traffic directed at the target website. This is done through the use of firewalls and smart filters to identify some or all bad or fake requests.If the hosting provider sees something that seems odd, such as a computer sending thousands of requests in one second, that request is simply ignored. The goal of filtering is to keep any and all illicit traffic away from the main site these requests are targeting.
2. Load Balancing: Distributing the Load
When a large number of people attempt to connect to a site, hosting providers will distribute that traffic across a variety of servers. This process is called Load balancing.Think of it this way; it is like having 10 people to help serve 10,000 visitors, rather than just one person. This means the website stays speedy and does not crash.
3. Rate Limiting: Throttle the Bots
When a large number of bots are trying to connect, sometimes they still can get through. That is when a provider would use Rate limiting, which means, they will stop too many requests from the same person or bot.As an example, if someone was to refresh a page hundreds of times, the system would block that user from the page because it would say, "whoa, that's too many requests."
4. Anycast Network: Globalizing the Attack
Any hosting provider can use Anycast networks. That means they have servers located in many countries around the world. When a DDoS attack occurs, the traffic is redirected to all of those servers.Thus, no single server becomes flooded, and the website continues operating.
