Distributed denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks can happen out of nowhere and leave a trail of complications for all in its wake. Popular companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Netflix are just 3 out of the thousands of companies who have been affected by these cyber incursions. While stopping a DDoS attack before it happens can be difficult, taking every precaution to help prevent one is not. Here are our 5 tips to prevent a DDoS attack from happening to you.
Catch a DDoS Attack Early on. Its recommended that you become accustom with your typical inbound traffic profile; the more you know about what your normal traffic looks like, the easier it is to spot when sudden changes occur . Most DDoS attacks start as large spikes in traffic,- Create an “Incase of DDoS” plan. The best way to ensure that your company reacts as quickly and effectively as possible to an attack is to create a playbook which documents in detail every step of a pre-planned response when an attack is detected. The plan should include DDoS Specialists who are trained in keeping a DDoS Attack under control, and a Communication Teams to relay whats happening to your customers
- Defend your Network at the Perimeter. In the first few minutes of a DDoS Attack you can partially mitigate the attack by utilizing these tips:
- Rate limit your router to prevent your web server from being overwhelmed
- Add filters to tell your router to drop packets from obvious sources of attack
- Timeout half-open connections more frequently
- Over provision your bandwidth. Having more bandwidth available means you can support unexpected surges in traffic. While it is unlikely that it wont stop a DDoS Attack it will certainly give you a few extra minutes to “Setup your Defenses and Prepare for Battle.”
Finally, don’t go out looking for trouble. Hackers love a good challenge and will attack your website if tested. If you get a threatening message or comment, just delete or ignore it. And don’t advertise your website where it is not appropriate, such as hacker forums.Remember any website is vulnerable to a DDoS attack so you need to be cautious always.