Have you ever been unable to access a website or web-based service? It could be for minutes, hours, or even days. Well, one possibility is that it came under a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. In 2021 alone, there were almost ten million DDoS attacks worldwide.
What is a DDoS Attack?
As the name implies, a DDoS attack intends to deny access to a service. The attack involves traffic overwhelming a targeted server, website, or network. When the target faces more traffic than it can cope with, it cannot operate as usual.
Many large websites run on robust servers and networks. Because of that, attackers often use several sources. The varying traffic sources represent a DDoS attack’s “distributed” aspect. As they say, enough ants can take down even the most giant elephant.
We all love web traffic since that’s a source of leads and potential sales. However, DDoS is a case of too much with no value. It eats up resources for zero potential profit and prevents us from doing business.
Bernard Tan
CallNet Senior Systems Engineer
Notable DDoS Attacks and Incidents Affecting Malaysia
Malaysian businesses face a twofold threat when it comes to DDoS attacks. The first is being a direct target, which happens to smaller businesses less often. They also risk operational disruption when successful DDoS attacks displace the services they use.
Past DDoS incidents affecting Malaysia include:
- The Kerala Cyber Xtractors hacker group launched a DDoS attack on Malaysia’s Central Bank website in early 2023. The site was unavailable for approximately two hours.
- Microsoft services, including Teams and Outlook, were down for over two hours in 2023. Most countries were affected by the service outage, including Malaysia.
- Access to several political part websites in Malaysia was blocked sometime in 2018. DDoS targeted the websites during the run-up to GE14. Notably, the websites also had minimal security features, increasing their vulnerability.
How to Protect Yourself From DDoS Attacks
Most small businesses and individuals will find it almost impossible to mitigate DDoS attacks with their resources. However, you can increase your resilience to these attacks in several ways with some help.
Here’s what you can do:
- Use a Content Delivery Network: A CDN helps distribute your content across multiple servers. During a DDoS attack, a CDN helps absorb traffic by spreading it across several servers. This reduces the load on your company server.
- Network Redundancy: Although many businesses see redundancy as a waste of resources, having a redundant network infrastructure can mitigate many cyber threats. Using multiple, dispersed data centers helps reduce loads during a DDoS attack.
- Scalable Resources: Leverage scalability for DDoS prevention instead of cheaper, fixed-resource web hosting. Use cloud-based services that can automatically stretch resources during times of heavy demand.
- Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting on your servers and web applications. This controls how much traffic can reach your network within a certain period. Typically, the limit applies to requests originating from the same source.
- Monitor Traffic: Always implement server or network monitoring features. These can alert IT staff when abnormal traffic levels are detected. However, be warned that DDoS attacks start and develop very quickly.
- Create a Response Plan: Due to the speed at which DDoS attacks occur, having a bulletproof rapid response plan is critical. Include detailed steps to contact your ISP, reroute traffic, or activate backup systems.
- Educate Your Team: Ensure your IT team knows the risks and signs of DDoS attacks. Knowing the signs and risks can help them respond quickly to potential threats.
DDoS Protections for Enterprises & small businesses
DDoS attacks have been around since 1999 and show no signs of slowing down. The nine years preceding 2022 saw an 807% increase in DDoS attacks.
The problem with these attacks isn’t just duration. DDoS attacks typically block visitors from your business website or service for short periods. However, the long-lasting damage to customer confidence can be substantial.
Recognizing this necessity, CallNet Solution partners with giants like AWS and Microsoft Azure, harnessing their advanced DDoS mitigation technologies. These partnerships empower us to provide businesses with the infrastructure and expertise required to deflect and manage these complex threats efficiently.
Talk to our consultant now; we can help strengthen your defenses so you remain focused on revenue.
