DDoS vs. DoS Attack: What's the Difference?

More than 2,300 cyberattacks occurred in 2023. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks were two of the most common types of cyberattacks. Gilsbar strongly recommends that every business consider investing in a cyber liability insurance policy to safeguard against such threats.

But one thing people don't always realize is that a DDoS attack and a DoS attack aren't the same. Both types of cyberattacks can have huge impacts on businesses, but they do it in much different ways. Make sure you understand the difference between a DDoS vs. DoS attack so you can protect your business from each one.

Understanding What Sets DDoS and DoS Attacks Apart

Before we discuss the DDoS vs. DoS attack differences, let's begin by pointing out that these cyberattacks do share some similarities. For example, DDoS and DoS attacks both have the same goal: To create a server or network traffic overload and interrupt a company's services.

But once you dig a little deeper, you'll find that DDoS and DoS attempt to achieve this goal by taking different approaches. By further exploring these service disruption techniques, you can better understand what differentiates DDoS vs. DoS attacks.

What Is a DDoS Attack?

A DDoS attack is widely considered the more serious of these two types of cyberattacks when you're comparing DDoS vs. DoS attacks. This is because DDoS attacks rely on multiple compromised systems, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices, to generate more traffic than a server or network can handle.

Since there are so many systems involved in the average DDoS attack, companies have a tough time thwarting these attacks once they start. The DDoS botnet of infected devices used to carry out this type of attack can catch them off-guard and do extensive damage before they're detected and stopped.

Most DDoS attacks end within 24 hours, but it isn't uncommon for some to last for up to a month thanks to their complexities. When this happens, it can knock a company's website offline for days at a time or slow down a company's network speed.

What Is a DoS Attack?

A DoS attack is often considered less serious than a DDoS attack when companies compare DDoS vs. DoS attacks. This is because DoS attacks are single-source vs. multi-source attacks. A DoS attack uses a single device to flood a company's server or network with traffic.

Since DoS attacks only come from a single source, they're typically easier to detect than DDoS attacks. It's also usually easier for companies to stop DoS attacks when they're coming from just one source.

Still, this doesn't mean companies should take DoS attacks lightly. If they remain undetected for too long or if companies don't do enough to stop them once they're eventually detected, these attacks can create costly server or network interruptions.

How Can You Prevent DDoS and DoS Attacks?

While many qualities separate them when you compare DDoS vs. DoS attacks, your company should work diligently to manage the cybersecurity risks associated with each one. Fortunately, you can take some of the same steps to boost your company's cybersecurity and stop DDoS and/or DoS attacks from impacting it.

For instance, you can take advantage of rate limiting to prevent these attacks from occurring. This will limit how many requests a server or network will accept within a certain window of time to stop DDoS and DoS attacks from happening.

You can also set up a firewall for your company to stop a DDoS or DoS attack. The more proactive you are about combatting service disruption techniques like DDoS and DoS attacks, the more secure your server or network should be.

Let Us Help Protect Your Company From Cyberattacks

DDoS and DoS attacks are two common cybersecurity threats, but they're just the beginning when it comes to cyberattacks. For this reason, your company should invest in a cyber liability insurance policy through Gilsbar to provide the protection it needs. Click here to request a cyber liability insurance quote today!