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Denial of service attack

There are different types of denial of service (DoS) attacks, but they all work by overloading the system with requests. These requests are small data packets that you send every time you access a website. It basically says “hello” to the website to establish a connection.

Denial of service simplified

A DoS attack happens when someone sends thousands of such requests in a short period of time. Anyone can do this by simply rigging a computer (or several) to continuously send “hello’s” until they overload the servers. If this happens, the website will shut down and become inaccessible to its visitors.

A TDoS works the same way. The only difference is that attackers target voice service systems of enterprises, the government, emergency services, call centers, and others.

Probability

Chances of becoming a victim of denial of service attack are very low (1 in 500).

Tips to prevent denial of service

Employ technology

Employing technology that’s built to sustain DoS attacks can help prevent DoS attacks.

Use specialized services

Using anti-DDoS services is a great way to manage DoS risks.

Build firewalls or go cloud

Building network firewalls or going “full cloud” can help prevent DoS attacks.

Denial of service crime stats

According to the FBI Internet Crime Reports, here's how devastating denial of service attacks were from 2015 to 2023:

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Lost to cybercriminals
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People were victims to denial of service attack
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Denial of service attack cases have reached record numbers with 2K yearly victims (around 6 victims per day) in 2020.

Victims have reported the highest average financial loss to denial of service attacks in 2023 ($41.5K per victim).

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the number of denial of service cases grew by 49%, but the average financial loss fell by 95% (from $5.6K to $254) per victim compared to 2019.

Despite the increasing awareness of online crimes, daily financial losses to denial of service attacks have grown around eight times from 2015 ($7.6K per day) to 2023 ($61.4K per day).

Learn more

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency National Cyber Security Center:Internet Crime Complaint Center (US)Report cybercrime (EU)