Quick tips to mitigate DDoS attacks

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Indusface suggests some useful tips that can help mitigate the risk of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.

Venkatesh Sundar, CTO at Indusface explains, "A distributed denial of service is an attack where multiple compromised or hired systems are used to target a single system, but the intensity or the threat of the attack may have repercussions so severe that it might tarnish a brand beyond repair."

DDoS attacks can last from days to months depending on the negotiations. In fact, these attacks are easy to execute and don't cost much for the hacker.

Here are some quick tips to proactively mitigate DDoS attacks

What techniques are used to mitigate app DDoS attacks?

Depending on the kind of attack, there are several techniques that can be employed to prevent the outage. However, a very large part of preventing DDoS is monitoring the traffic continuously and consistently. This way, companies get proactive actionable data on attack and can formulate better prevention policies before it gets severe. And that's exactly why automated tools can never provide benefits that an expert-backed tool can.

How does web application firewall helps prevent app DDoS?

Web application firewall filters Layer 7 traffic directly and feeds data directly to security experts who can recognize malicious chunks of traffic trying to bring your services down. After which they apply rules and policies to block such attacks based on bot signatures, malicious IPs, bandwidth stealing, and so on.

Can you do it on your own?

If you are up for hiring and training security professionals with Layer 7 experience, mitigating DDoS in-house is possible. However, with huge costs and diversion from core business activity, most global players seek to outsource complete AppSec including DDoS mitigation to people who can monitor traffic 24 × 7 and take immediate countermeasures.

Is there an absolute security solution?

When it comes to DDoS security, there is no silver bullet technology that can solve every problem. With multiple attack vectors, on-going attack techniques, and zero-day vulnerabilities, automated technology alone is bound to fail. It cannot protect against all threats while also ensuring legitimate traffic doesn't suffer. That is where the human experience and decision-making skills come in. Continuous expert monitoring with actionable insights is the most lethal combination of DDoS security that can prepare organizations with a proactive defense strategy.