The difference between DoS and DDoS attacks is whether one computer is used in the attack, or the attack is sent from multiple sources. Websites sometimes “crash” due to an incoming flood of legitimate traffic, like when a highly anticipated product is released, and millions of people visit the site at once trying to buy it. This has the effect of tying up all available resources to deal with these requests, and crashing the web server or distracting it enough that normal users cannot create a connection between their systems and the server. This is DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service, which is a malicious network attack that involves hackers forcing numerous Internet-connected devices to send network communication requests to one specific service or website with the intention of overwhelming it with false traffic or requests. A huge influx of traffic all at once can tie up all the site’s resources and thereby deny access to legitimate users. This type of attack involves sending large amounts of traffic from multiple sources to a service or website, intending to overwhelm it. DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service.
