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DDoS Attack Makes the Biggest Internet Players Stumble

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DDoS Attack Makes the Biggest Internet Players Stumble

ddos attackThe very foundation of the internet was rattled on Friday as a result of a DDoS attack on Dyn, one of the most pivotal service providers for some of the biggest websites out there. Dyn is a cloud-based internet management company that helps monitor, optimize, and control internet infrastructure for large clients. There’s probably a lot to clarify here for some of you, but before we get into that, I want to stress how the interconnectivity of the security of your own personal computer and the overall health of the internet are connected. Yes, you read that right, DDoS attacks and your own personal computing habits are more linked than you probably thought. Buckle up, here we go…

And DDoS Attacks are What, Exactly?

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are widespread disruptive attacks on targets that result in temporary shutdowns. Pronounced as either “D-Dos” or “D-D-Oh-S,” these are deceptively much more harmful than is commonly understood. First, they are distributed in the sense that it is essentially the overwhelming of a system with a massive amount of queries. The denial of service then results from the subsequent shutting down of a system overwhelmed by the sheer volume of traffic that it encounters. Now, with some familiarity on what a DDoS attack is, considering that Dyn was the target of the attack, that’s why sites like Amazon, Spotify, CNN, GitHub, Twitter and so many others all experienced downtime. But other than impacting your ability to see what was trending or go shopping for a while, what does that really have to do with you? The answer may be a bit disturbing.

That Sounds Terrible, I’d Like to Prevent It

We have told you before about updating the software and firmware on all of your devices but this DDoS attack is just more evidence why it’s so important. During a DDoS attack, the forces behind it will simulate millions of users trying to access a system to bring it to its capacity. As it turns out, some of the simulated access points may have been coming from personal computers that had previously accessed any of the affected sites but that also haven’t been updated to the latest security patches on their operating systems. And considering how many huge websites were affected, this could be virtually almost every single device out there. Additionally, some of the access points may have come from hardware with faulty firmware, though that is more difficult to protect against.

It’s a Delicate Web

The point is that barring the use of a bit of compromised hardware that, thankfully, is a problem few and far between, we all need to consider ourselves responsible for the overall health and safety of the internet. Sure, that’s a big responsibility, but one that isn’t too dissimilar to that of voting or driving on the right side of the road. In many ways, this is just the next logical step that we all need to take in doing our part to make sure our common areas are kept in good working order. Because, just like the neighborhood park, if everyone leaves one piece of trash behind it doesn’t take long for the whole block to look terrible.

Businesses Are More Vulnerable

Besides being responsible stewards of our own personal internet footprint, we have even more to consider with our professional internet use. Professional services that optimize your business network connections do more than boost your speed and efficiency. Higher-touch web monitoring and maintenance services like VirtualPBX Network Monitoring ensure that your network is in top shape while also keeping you up to date on all of the pertinent security patches your business needs to stay safe. And when something like this DDoS attack does occur upstream that you can’t defend against, at least knowing your system is fortified against anything will keep you and your customers prepared to weather the storm.

For more ways to protect yourself in this increasingly connected world, make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. Until we have more tips for you, though, make sure to go search for updates on your device!

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