What is DDoS Attack: In today’s world, wars are not fought only with guns and missiles, but countries can also be shaken with keyboards and servers. Cyber warfare is an example of this and one of the most dangerous methods in it is DDoS attack. In recent years, during the increased tension between China and Taiwan, reports of cyber attacks came to light, in which DDoS attacks severely affected Taiwan’s digital system. But what is DDoS attack and why is it considered so dangerous?
What is DDoS attack?
The full name of DDoS is Distributed Denial of Service. In simple words, it is a cyber attack in which so many requests are sent simultaneously to a website, server or online system that the system stops working.
Suppose 10 people can comfortably shop in a shop at one time. Now if suddenly thousands of people try to enter inside simultaneously, the shop’s system will come to a standstill. DDoS attacks work in exactly the same way, the only difference is that here it is not “people” but computers and bots.
Why is DDoS called distributed?
In DDoS, the attack is not carried out from one place, but from thousands or millions of infected devices located in different parts of the world. These are called botnets. Hackers first infect common people’s computers, mobiles, CCTV cameras or IoT devices with malware. Later, by controlling these devices together, a single target is attacked. This is why it becomes very difficult to stop DDoS attacks because the traffic is not coming from one country or one IP, but from the whole world.
What is the purpose of DDoS attack?
The purpose of DDoS attack is not to steal data but to disrupt service. It is used for several reasons:
- To down government websites
- To disrupt the banking and financial system
- To suppress the voice of media or news portals
- To spread fear and chaos in a country
That is, this attack is done more to create mental pressure and instability than to cause harm.
China-Taiwan Tension and cyber attack angle
Political and military tension between China and Taiwan is nothing new. But in the last few years, this conflict has been seen in the digital world also. Whenever there is any major political event in Taiwan or anti-China statements come out, the number of cyber attacks on Taiwan’s government websites and important institutions suddenly increases. Among these attacks, DDoS attack is considered to be the most used method because with this the digital backbone of the country can be shaken without firing a bullet.
Impact of DDoS attack on Taiwan
Many important websites were temporarily closed during the DDoS attacks on Taiwan. These included government portals, transport systems, airport displays and some financial platforms. Although these attacks could not cause permanent damage, the system being down for a few hours definitely spread confusion and panic among the common people. This is the biggest strength of DDoS attack. It reduces the direct loss but leaves a huge impact.
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