On the Internet we can come across many different types of attacks. Hackers are constantly looking for a way to steal information, infect computers, damage networks … To do this, they use very different techniques. It is true that we have many tools and methods to protect ourselves, but attacks also improve and it becomes more difficult to be protected. In this article we are going to explain what an RDDoS attack is and why it is so dangerous.
What is an RDDoS attack
To understand what an RDDoS attack is, you must first understand two terms: DDoS and ransomware. We can say that it is a mixture of both. A problem that especially affects companies and organizations, but that could also harm private users.
Ransomware is one of the most important threats on the web today. It is a technique that attacks use to profit. They infect a computer and in this way encrypt files and the system itself. Later, in order to obtain an economic benefit, they ask for a ransom in exchange. This frees up those files to make them available again.
On the other hand, the mission of DDoS attacks is to render a website or online platform without service. This produces significant losses, since if it affects, for example, an e-commerce website, it would be for hours without being able to receive visits and enter money. It basically consists of sending a multitude of requests so that the servers cannot respond and are blocked.
Now that we briefly know what ransomware is and what DDoS attacks are, we can understand what an RDDoS attack consists of . We can say that it is a mixture of both, since an attacker carries out a DDoS attack and asks for a financial ransom for said attack to yield. The latter is what ransomware looks like.
Typically hackers ask for a financial ransom in bitcoins and other digital currencies. They send a note to that company or organization with the information necessary for the attacks to stop or not to be carried out. The victim would have to pay to prevent their website or online service from being uninterrupted.
Keep in mind that it is not a new type of threat, far from it. However, in recent times there has been a significant increase. Cybercriminals have found an interesting option to profit.
How to avoid being a victim of RDDoS attacks
To avoid being victims of an RDDoS attack, the advice will be similar to what we would give to protect ourselves from a common DDoS attack. Also even to protect us from other threats that are on the network and that could put our security at risk.
Protect the network
Something fundamental is to protect the network . We must carry out a good strategy that adequately protects all the equipment that is connected to the Internet in our company or organization. Having intruders, allowing attackers to access the network in one way or another, could lead to attacks of this type that must be avoided.
Properly encrypt all computers and servers
One of the most important actions is to properly encrypt any computer or server . It is essential to use passwords that are strong and complex, unique, and contain letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols. All this always in a random way.
Protecting all computers can save us from many problems. But not only the password itself matters, but the possibility of using two-factor authentication or the type of encryption we use. Everything influences to improve security.
Monitor traffic
Of course, to protect ourselves from RDDoS attacks it is essential to monitor the traffic . Do we see unusual traffic? It could be an attempted attack against our server. It is one of the first signs that we could have.
Have a firewall
A firewall is one of the tools that can best protect us to avoid intruders on the network. Its mission is to block all access requests that are not legitimate. One more way to protect ourselves against DDoS attacks and its even more dangerous RDDoS variant.
Use the cloud
The cloud not only offers us a wide range of possibilities in terms of storage and use of online applications, but it can also help improve computer security. There are specific services for the cloud that prevent attacks of this type.
In short, these are some basic actions that we must take into account to protect ourselves from RDDoS attacks. It is one of the many threats on the Internet and you should be prepared not to suffer the consequences.
