The Importance of Network Monitoring in Preventing DDoS Attacks

DDoS stands for distributed denial-of-service. DDoS has become a persistent threat since the emergence of commercial internet. Various companies around the world experience DDoS attacks. Network monitoring is one of the most important DDoS prevention measures. Check out the reasons below.

The Evolution of DDoS Attacks

The first DDoS attack occurred in 1974, orchestrated by a 13-year-old student from the United States. Since then, DDoS attacks have changed significantly. Currently, hackers use a technique called reflection amplification. This technique increases the amount of malicious traffic that can be used to attack various companies worldwide.

Suppose the company’s network is used in a DDoS attack, or worse, affected by such an attack. In that case, the business’s reputation can be damaged, the company’s network performance can deteriorate, and the company’s productivity level can decrease. DDoS attacks have evolved from exploiting NTP servers and bots to DNS reflection/amplification attacks.

Terabit attacks using memcached servers have already occurred. This is an open-source and free caching system that helps speed up networks and websites. This attack is very effective because of the high-bandwidth access links on the memcached server, and thus it has become increasingly popular in high-bandwidth DDoS reflection/amplification attacks.

This rapid evolution shows that DDoS attacks have become a weapon, and are now widely used by hackers in relatively short intervals. If not prevented, it can pose a significant threat to the company’s operations.

Prevention and Risk Mitigation with Network Monitoring Tools

Although the DDoS defense industry and internet infrastructure have made significant progress in DDoS mitigation, there are still companies in various countries that struggle with it every day. DDoS attacks demonstrate that it is crucial to have the right security tools.

So that these security tools can function properly, a highly efficient network access solution is needed between the tools and the network. Highly efficient network monitoring hardware will transfer accurate information to the security tools, allowing the company to be maximally protected against the next DDoS attack.

The end-to-end visibility platform facilitates the monitoring of device activity, signs of disruption, or warning signs, essentially all the information needed to alert an attack within a network. By having access to the right data, network admins can track what is happening on the network in real-time and help understand what triggers attacks from the beginning.

The Importance of Network Monitoring to Prevent DDoS

Early detection and mitigation are crucial for businesses that want to protect their networks from DDoS attacks. Some sophisticated DDoS attacks can cripple large servers and even disable the entire network. Severe disruptions to the network can result in loss of revenue and damage to brand reputation.

The ability of network monitoring can help the company’s IT team detect and mitigate harmful or accidental cyber security threats from the outset. Here are some of the main reasons why network monitoring capabilities are crucial for withstanding modern and evolved DDoS attacks:

1. Early Detection of Attacks

The importance of early detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks is crucial for the smooth operation of the company. Early detection will save time, prevent the company from losing revenue, maintain brand reputation, and help the company keep its infrastructure secure.

A reliable network monitoring solution will understand network traffic by analyzing data in real-time and continuously reviewing historical data. Network monitoring tools will also compare this traffic data against benchmarks to capture unusual traffic patterns, providing network and security technicians with exactly what they need.

After obtaining the above information, the IT team will know the important details, allowing them to mitigate the attack promptly. The team will make efforts to protect their network before any damage occurs.

2. Detecting Low-Volume Attacks

Most people equate DDoS attacks with high-volume attacks that risk damaging websites or networks. However, in reality, most DDoS attacks are low-volume and of short duration, often less than 1 Gbps, and lasting only a few minutes, making them difficult to detect.

2. Detecting Low-Volume Attacks

Most people equate DDoS attacks with high-volume attacks that risk damaging websites or networks. However, in reality, most DDoS attacks are low-volume and short in duration, often less than 1 Gbps and lasting only a few minutes, making them difficult to detect.

DDoS detection tools are often configured with detection thresholds that ignore or even fail to see these attacks. These low-volume attacks are often used to cover up security breaches. Hackers will use DDoS attacks to divert attention while launching more profitable security breaches.

3. Identifying Traffic Sources in Detail

Identifying the origin of traffic and the normal traffic flow from those sources is key data for defense strategies. Context-rich telemetry utilized by network monitoring solutions includes important network information such as geolocation.

To protect the company’s infrastructure, the company must first create policies based on specific geographies, such as alerts if traffic originates from an embargoed country. Being able to identify the source of traffic can be very helpful in detecting security breaches. If there is an unusual source, it may be key for early mitigation.

4. Understanding Attacks and Their Context

Traffic flow data gives the IT team the ability to understand attacks and their context. This data provides details starting from the origin of the attack, the IP address, the port, or the protocol that constitutes the attack. This context aids mitigation by providing the ability to better understand the nature of the attack, allowing appropriate filters to be applied to network traffic.

5. Determining Mitigation Effectiveness

Mitigation services and technologies sometimes do not achieve full coverage, and attack traffic can evade mitigation, leaving the company’s network exposed. It is very important to analyze which DDoS traffic has been redirected for removal and which traffic has been missed.

It would be even better if monitoring tools could monitor hundreds of vantage points to know how quickly the mitigation service used by the company achieves full coverage. Incomplete DDoS mitigation allows attack traffic to reach the targeted network.

6. Conducting Attack Forensics

Many DDoS attacks have patterns. Some hackers have done it multiple times, but their traces are not always traceable. A reliable network monitoring solution allows the IT team to look back at historical data to understand whether this attack has been experienced before. Is there a pattern? How can it be prevented beforehand? Network monitoring with reliable monitoring tools is necessary to prevent increasingly sophisticated DDoS attacks.

To keep the company’s network running smoothly, use Netmonk, a provider of comprehensive network monitoring solutions. Find complete product information on the Netmonk website right now!