Difference between DOS and DDOS attack

Here in the spectrum of cybersecurity, the various types of attacks should be distinguished for systems and networks to be protected. There are two categories of these; DOS, the short form for Denial of Service, and DDOS, which stands for Distributed Denial of Service. Both are meant to flood the target system with traffic and make it inaccessible to genuine traffic. Nonetheless, the size and implementation of such attacks differ substantially.

What is a DOS Attack?

A DOS (Denial of Service) attack is a type of cyberattack where one internet-connected computer floods a different computer with traffic especially a server to instigate a crash. It always floods the server with requests which will cause it to either crash or be unavailable to users of the website in question. DOS attacks specifically appear when targeted at a website, making the site unavailable and causing a major disruption of online services.

Key Characteristics of a DOS Attack:

• Single Source: It is started from one system only as explained above.
• Traffic Volume: The Turnover is high, however, it is a single point of call Turnover.
• Traceability: As the attack originates from a particular system it is traceable as compared to the case of the distributed one.
• Blockability: It is more easily blocked since ALL of the traffic comes from one source as opposed to a DDOS attack.

What is a DDOS Attack?

A DDOS Which is a short form of Distributed Denial of Service attack works on similar lines as the DOS attack but is more complicated in that the attack is launched with the help of several systems located in different places. These systems, sometimes ge fringe computers or ‘bots,’ operate in parallel in the manner of amplifying the traffic volume to a level much more difficult for the target to counter. An inherent advantage of a distributed attack is that it is difficult to track the origin and, therefore, put a stop to it.

Key Characteristics of a DDOS Attack

• Multiple Sources: The attack is initiated from the different systems; at times, originated from different environments.
• Traffic Volume: It has multiple sources and the volume of traffic is much higher and for this reason it is much more devastating.
• Difficulty in Tracing: This is because the attack is launched in several instances of computers at different locations, hence it is difficult to track its origin.
• Complexity in Blocking: It is even more challenging to block a DDOS attack because the attack originates from many different places.

Difference Between DoS and DDoS Attacks

Conclusion

DOS and DDOS both are real threats to online services and systems. A DOS attack is when a single system will be attacked while a DDOS attack will have multiple systems attacking the victim hence making it difficult to defend against the attack. Differentiation between these two sociotechnical attacks is critical when preventing-security measures and risks of harm.