DoS

DoS (Denial of Service) is a cyber attack that disrupts access to a website, service, or network by overwhelming it with excessive traffic or requests. The goal of a DoS attack is to consume the target’s resources, like bandwidth, processing power, or memory, to the point where legitimate users cannot access the service or experience severe lag and outages.

DoS attacks generally involve sending a large number of requests in a short period, which can be achieved through various methods. For example, in a Flood Attack, the attacker bombards the target with more traffic than it can handle, overloading its capacity and causing it to slow down or crash. In an Application Layer Attack, the attacker targets specific vulnerabilities in applications, like web servers, by sending complex requests that consume significant processing resources.

These attacks are often launched using scripts or botnets—networks of compromised computers controlled remotely by the attacker. Unlike Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which involve multiple sources, a standard DoS attack typically originates from a single source, making it easier to trace but still potentially devastating to unprotected systems.