These devices have become bots (robots, essentially) within a wider botnet.įrom here, the hacker is free to launch one of a number of DDoS or other attacks. There are different types of DDoS attacks, but most of them work by using a brute force attack against a network or server. In turn, this malware grants the hacker remote access to the infected devices. Since the machines are all linked through a common connection, the malicious software can spread quickly throughout the network.

Usually, the quickest way to create a botnet is to infect a network comprising many internet-connected devices with malware. They can either purchase one on the dark web, or create one themselves. How Does a DDoS Attack Happen?īefore a DDoS attack can occur, an attacker needs access to and control over a botnet. This is just one part of the many fraudulent transactions that take place on the dark web, the seedy underbelly of the internet where the general public doesn’t go. Sometimes, they’ll create botnets to sell them to others. Hackers can use a botnet to perform a DDoS-attack. The owners of these devices often don’t know that their machines are being exploited as part of a botnet. This is a large network of malware-infected devices (computers, laptops, etc.) that can be controlled by the so-called bot herder, the person that has control over the bots.

To organize a DDoS attack, an attacker needs a botnet. DDoS attacks can cause a company or organization’s services to become unavailable, as heavy load results in the servers becoming overwhelmed. What is a DDoS attack exactly? A DDoS attack (Distributed Denial of Service) involves flooding a website or live service’s network with internet traffic.

Attack an ip address