Chapter 6 Summary

I learned that denial-of-service (DoS) attacks try to make a computer, server, or network unusable by flooding it with so many requests that it slows down or crashes. Even big websites like Microsoft, eBay, and Amazon have been affected by these attacks, which can cause major interruptions. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is even worse because it uses a lot of infected computers, called bots or zombies, to overwhelm a target all at once. These attacks often start with Trojan horse programs that secretly take control of other people’s devices. What surprised me is that attackers don’t even need to break into the server itself to cause damage because just sending too many requests is enough. Reading this made me realize how important security is, since our own computers could be part of an attack without us even knowing. It also showed me why monitoring networks, updating your systems, and practicing safe online habits are so necessary. Overall, I got a better understanding of how vulnerable online services can be and why defending them matters.