Denial of service (DoS):

These attacks occur when a threat actor attempts to overwhelm a system so that it no longer functions. Most networks have limited capacity (bandwidth). DoS attacks will send so much traffic to a network or website that it is overwhelmed. The target organization’s network and/or website may become incredibly slow or completely cease to function.

How to identify a DoS attack

DoS attacks are indicated by network services (including websites) becoming unexpectedly slower or unavailable. While there can be legitimate reasons for a web service to slow, there are some signs that the slowdown is due to a DoS attack:

• The change in service is unexpected

• There is an unnatural pattern to spikes in traffic, such as a spike every 15 minutes

What to do if you fall victim

If you think you have fallen victim of a DoS attack, follow the steps listed in section: