Think of your website as a small town. Several roads lead in and out of the town. If you crash tractor-trailers across all of them, the town becomes all but inaccessible.

DDoS attacks work a bit like that. They keep people from accessing your site by blocking different kinds of roads or channels into the site. They accomplish this by using a large number of computers, typically spread out across the globe.

For example, attackers might choke your site with junk data. This is your basic bandwidth attack. Other common attacks include flood attacks and application attacks.

Even worse, a new form of more powerful DDoS attack uses Internet-of-Things devices to magnify the attack by over 15,000%.

DIY Website Security

DDoS attacks use existing weaknesses in the DNA of web-related technologies and protocols. That makes them difficult to prevent outright. You can, however, take steps that limit the damage.

You can boost the amount of bandwidth available for your site on the hosting server. This doesn't stop the attack, but it can prevent your site from becoming unavailable.

You can put your site on a content delivery network. That's a service that hosts copies of your site on several IP addresses. That means people can still reach a working version of your site even if the attack takes the primary address down.

Keep your security updated on all devices and services. Security updates can help close loopholes hackers use to launch DDoS

Outsourced Security

If you lack the time or expertise to manage your website security, you can always go with outsourced website security. Managed service providers often bundle essential website security into their packages.

These services can do several things, such as:

• Automate security updates
• Provide alerts when an attack happens
• Take proactive measures that reduce your downtime

Smaller organizations often prefer this solution because it's efficient and generally more cost-effective than hiring IT security experts.

Parting Thoughts on DDos Attacks and Prevention

Good website security can make it harder for someone to launch a DDoS attack on your site, but nothing makes these attacks impossible. Your best courses of action are preventative.

You can boost the bandwidth on your site. Keeping security updated on all your devices and servers helps as well. Content delivery networks can keep your site available even when one version of your site goes down.

Don't feel prepared to tackle your site's security on your own. Envision IT Solutions offers managed IT services, including website security. Contact us today for more information.