What is a DDoS attack?
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack floods systems with more traffic than they can handle—until services slow, stop, or crash completely. These attacks don’t aim to steal data. Their goal is to block access. At scale, that kind of disruption doesn’t just cause delays—it puts your operations and reputation on the line.
Unlike traditional denial-of-service attacks, which come from a single source, DDoS attacks are powered by many.
Thousands of compromised devices—often part of global botnets—send nonstop requests to a single destination. It’s like jamming every lane of a highway with rush-hour traffic until no one can move.
Why DDoS matters to security teams
DDoS attacks are loud. They’re hard to miss. But that noise can mask something deeper.
Cyber attackers often use DDoS as cover. While your team scrambles to stabilize performance, threat actors may launch phishing campaigns, probe for weak spots, or attempt credential theft. It’s not just a disruption. It’s a distraction. And when identity systems are hit, it can become an open door.
That’s why DDoS response isn’t just about absorbing traffic. It’s about protecting identity access layers before, during, and after an incident.
Where identity comes in
If attackers can overwhelm your login portals, they can:
- Delay critical access for legitimate users
- Create opportunities for credential stuffing
- Distract from targeted attempts to bypass identity controls
And if you’re not watching for it, they might succeed.
Layered identity defenses—like multi-factor authentication, rate limiting, and session monitoring—don’t just strengthen your response. They shrink your risk surface from the start.
An example of a DDoS attack in action
An enterprise software company sees login failures spike. Within minutes, user complaints roll in. Their authentication system is being hit by a DDoS attack—massive traffic, all targeting identity services.
While IT contains the traffic, security teams look deeper. Turns out, the DDoS was step one. Simultaneous phishing emails had gone out to employees. The attackers were betting the confusion would buy them time.
It didn’t. Because the company had phishing-resistant MFA and session limits in place, none of the phishing attempts worked. The disruption was contained, and the attack fizzled out.
How to stay prepared for an attack
DDoS attacks move fast.
But smart preparation gives you room to respond:
- Use cloud-based traffic scrubbing and filtering to keep bad requests from reaching your apps
- Add rate limiting and CAPTCHA to sensitive endpoints like logins and password resets
