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Cybersecurity Solutions: Best Practices and Implementation

  • By Gcore
  • July 25, 2023
  • 13 min read
Cybersecurity Solutions: Best Practices and Implementation

In today’s digital landscape, the cost of a data breach can be staggering, with an average price tag of $4.3 million. The demand for robust cybersecurity solutions is increasing as clients and industries require businesses to uphold a certain level of security. This means that investing in cybersecurity is not a typical expense, but a business-savvy, financially wise strategy. In this article, we’ll explore what cybersecurity solutions are, what options exist, how to choose, implement, and optimize the right strategy for your business, and trends for 2023.

What Are Cybersecurity Solutions?

Cybersecurity solutions encompass a wide range of tools, technologies, and services designed to mitigate cyber threats and protect digital assets from unauthorized access, data breaches, and other malicious activities. Cybersecurity solutions play a critical role in maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information systems and safeguarding sensitive data, ensuring the smooth operations of your business in all industries and of all sizes. Common examples of such solutions are employee training programs, antivirus software, and firewalls.

Baseline Cybersecurity Solutions

To safeguard against cyber threats, it is not always necessary to invest in complicated and expensive solutions. Phishing and ransomware are significant risks for businesses of all sizes, in both the public and private sectors. Yet, effective remedies for these attacks can be achieved through training, data protection, and access control.

This section provides an overview of essential cybersecurity solutions suitable for any company with digital operations. These solutions are particularly valuable for businesses with limited cybersecurity budgets or those in their early stages of cybersecurity implementation.

Cybersecurity Training

One critical solution for mitigating cyber threats is cybersecurity training: educating employees or users about your company’s digital assets, vulnerabilities, and risks. The primary goal is to raise awareness of potential cyber threats and attacks and equip individuals with the ability to identify, respond to, and report incidents.

Training should be interesting, relevant, and actionable. Different teams may require specific training; a business might offer a general course on phishing attacks and a specific course for developers on secure coding.

Examples of solution providers in this domain include KnowBe4, SANS, and Proofpoint. Some of these programs offer free content, including products, tools, cheat sheets, and tutorials.

KnowBe4 free tools

Training should not be a one-time event. Regular educational programs must be implemented to keep users and employees informed about evolving threats, hacker techniques, and new protection tools.

Data Protection

Data protection solutions aim to secure your company databases, safeguarding against critical data losses caused by hardware failures, human error, or software malfunctions resulting from cyberattacks.

One effective data protection solution is an encrypted cloud backup program, which regularly automatically copies your data to secure cloud locations. Backup encryption provides an additional layer of protection, rendering the data unreadable and unusable even if hackers gain unauthorized access to your backup. Solution providers in this space include NordLocker, Acronis, Idrive, and CrashPlan.

Access Control

Access control solutions ensure that only authorized users can access your systems. Strong passwords alone are no longer sufficient, as hackers use a range of methods such as phishing attacks, social engineering, automated password guessing, and malware to steal credentials. Access control solutions are particularly important for remote teams, where employees access systems via insecure networks, often on personal devices.

The most easily implementable and important access control solution for your business is multi-factor authentication (MFA), which prevents 30–50% of access-related cyberattacks. MFA requires users to provide multiple forms of identification. A common example of MFA is when users enter a password and a uniquely generated code is sent to their mobile device to log in.

MFA software can be purchased as a standalone app or API integrated into a company’s application. Examples of MFA solution providers include Google Authenticator, LastPass, and Okta.

Advanced Cybersecurity Solutions for Enhanced Protection

As the digital footprint of a business grows and partnerships with prominent brands are established, business assets become more valuable to hackers. At this stage, it is recommended to invest in advanced cybersecurity solutions, and to have those solutions in place before the business becomes overexposed to cyber threats. If feasible, hiring a cybersecurity professional or outsourcing cybersecurity will help to ensure effective management and implementation of current best practices.

Network Protection

Network protection solutions are essential in preventing unauthorized access to network resources and swiftly identifying and thwarting cyberattacks. As most company devices are connected to networks like Wi-Fi (WLAN,) local area network (LAN,) wide-area network (WAN,) or enterprise private network (EPN,) securing these networks is imperative as businesses scale and have a larger external attack surface.

Network cybersecurity solutions operate on two levels: preventing hackers from infiltrating the network and safeguarding individual resources within the network (including devices, software, and data) in the event that external controls are breached.

How a firewall works

Prominent network cybersecurity solutions include:

  1. DDoS protection: DDoS protection solutions are defensive measures that monitor traffic to mitigate and prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, safeguarding networks and online services by filtering and blocking malicious traffic.

Network cybersecurity solutions are an overarching category, and as such some of the solutions discussed in the remainder of this section also pertain to network security.

Endpoint Protection

In the landscape of remote work and device proliferation, ensuring robust endpoint protection has become paramount to safeguarding sensitive company data. From laptops and mobile phones to wearables, medical devices, scanners, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, endpoints serve as potential gateways for cyber attacks, making effective security solutions indispensable.

Statistics from IBM reveal that a staggering 70% of data breaches stem from vulnerabilities in endpoint devices. With personal devices regularly utilized for work purposes and work devices occasionally used for personal activities, the risk landscape has expanded exponentially. 
To combat these threats, organizations must deploy comprehensive endpoint cybersecurity solutions. Such solutions are designed to be installed directly on individual devices, systematically analyzing their files, processes, and systems to identify any signs of suspicious or malicious activity. Examples of widely used endpoint protection solutions include Crowdstrike, Sophos, Kaspersky, and SentinelOne.

Enterprise Endpoint Protection Solutions

While traditional antivirus software has long served as the primary defense mechanism, its effectiveness is limited to only a few devices. Enterprises require more robust cybersecurity solutions, such as an enterprise protection platform (EPP,) endpoint detection and response (EDR,) and extended detection and response (XDR.) Note: the least protective is EPP, and the most protective is XDR.

EPP acts as a proactive shield, preemptively preventing attacks on endpoints. However, given the sophistication of modern threats, relying solely on EPP may not suffice. EDR provides advanced threat detection and response capabilities, specifically designed to identify and neutralize threats that might have slipped past EPP defenses. Recognizing the need for comprehensive protection, cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions now integrate both EPP and EDR functionalities into a unified platform. This consolidation enables organizations to fortify their defenses, achieving a higher level of endpoint security.

EDR vs. XDR

Nevertheless, effective endpoint protection extends beyond individual devices. Attacks can manifest across various domains, including databases, applications, networks, and cloud workloads. To address these broader threat landscapes, organizations are turning to extended detection and response (XDR) solutions. XDR entails a holistic approach, extending protection beyond endpoints and incorporating multi-dimensional threat response capabilities.

Audit Log Management

Audit logging cybersecurity solutions document activity within an organization’s software. These activities encompass a wide range of events, including database access and modifications, administrative actions, and login failures. With the power to decide which specific activities to track, companies can gain invaluable insights from audit logs, revealing precisely when an event occurred, the corresponding timestamp, and the user responsible.

The significance of audit logging extends far beyond mere documentation. These comprehensive logs serve as a valuable resource for security teams when investigating potential breaches. By analyzing the audit trail left behind, security professionals can unravel the sequence of events that led to a security incident. This forensic capability not only aids in understanding the nature and scope of the breach but also plays a pivotal role in implementing effective remediation measures.

An example from DataDog log management solution

Audit logging cybersecurity solutions can be implemented as standalone tools or may be found within broader security frameworks, such as security information and event management (SIEM) and identity and access management (IAM) solutions. Leading cloud service providers and database management systems often incorporate robust audit logging capabilities as an integral part of their offerings.

By leveraging comprehensive audit log management, organizations can strengthen their security posture, ensuring adherence to regulatory compliance standards and enabling proactive threat detection. Furthermore, the wealth of information stored within audit logs can be utilized for fine tuning security policies, identifying potential vulnerabilities, and improving overall system performance.

Vulnerability Management

Robust vulnerability management cybersecurity solutions play a crucial role in identifying, prioritizing, and remedying weaknesses in computer systems, networks, and software. Such vulnerabilities encompass a wide array of potential risks, including unpatched bugs, outdated systems or software, and misconfigurations of both software and hardware components.

Example of a vulnerability management solution dashboard from Tenable

While manual vulnerability management is hypothetically possible, it is time consuming and error prone, even for smaller organizations. To streamline and automate these critical operations, security teams rely on specialized vulnerability management software. These powerful cybersecurity solutions oversee the entire lifecycle of vulnerability management, encompassing identification, remediation, and comprehensive reporting.

Enterprise Vulnerability Management Solutions

In addition to comprehensive vulnerability management software, standalone solutions such as vulnerability scanners and patch management tools are also available. Vulnerability scanners focus on identifying and listing vulnerabilities, serving as a first step towards risk mitigation. They can function as an entry point to advanced cybersecurity for organizations with limited budgets, providing an initial assessment of vulnerabilities. However, interpreting and prioritizing the identified vulnerabilities typically requires the expertise of a dedicated security specialist who can guide the remediation efforts effectively.

Patch management solutions take a more proactive approach than vulnerability scanners by identifying, acquiring, testing, and installing necessary software patches on devices, ensuring that critical vulnerabilities are quickly addressed. Patch management cybersecurity solutions are predominantly utilized by IT teams, particularly in larger organizations with extensive software ecosystems to oversee. These solutions streamline the process of managing patches across a myriad of devices, ensuring that critical updates are promptly implemented to mitigate potential risks.

Notable examples of vulnerability management solutions include Tenable Nessus and Rapid7 InsightVM, both renowned for their robust feature sets and proven track records in the industry.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing (or “pen testing”) is a crucial cybersecurity service that evaluates the security posture of systems by simulating cyberattacks. It offers a comprehensive approach for identifying vulnerabilities, surpassing the scope of traditional vulnerability assessments.

Before conducting a penetration test, a clear scope is defined, outlining the specific areas to be assessed. This can include software, hardware, networks, and even the human element through simulated attacks on employees. By subjecting systems to controlled cyberattacks, organizations gain valuable insights into their security defenses and can proactively address vulnerabilities before they are exploited by malicious actors. Penetration testing plays a pivotal role in uncovering weaknesses that may be overlooked by traditional security assessments, thereby enhancing overall resilience and minimizing potential risks.

Penetration testing services are offered by independent security professionals, specialized penetration testing companies, and managed security service providers (MSSPs). Prominent solution providers in the field of penetration testing include Bugcrowd, HackerOne, ImmuniWeb, and Gcore.

Specialized Solutions

When it comes to protecting specific technologies, specialized solutions are essential. There are three main types of specialized solutions, aimed respectively at applications, cloud, and IoT. Let’s look at each in turn.

Application Security

Application security solutions play a critical role in safeguarding the software that drives business operations. From design to production, these solutions provide an additional layer of protection, mitigating the impact of potential attacks.

There are various types of application security solutions available, each addressing specific aspects of application protection:

  • Web application firewalls (WAFs): WAFs act as gatekeepers, protecting all your web resources, including web applications and APIs, against unauthorized access to confidential data. By monitoring traffic in real time, WAFs can enforce preset rules to block malicious requests and thwart potential attacks. Gcore WAF is an example of such a solution. Our tool utilizes machine learning to monitor application traffic and promptly block access if malware is detected.
  • Static application security testing (SAST): SAST focuses on reviewing an application’s code to identify common coding errors, insecure coding practices, and known security weaknesses. By analyzing the codebase, SAST tools help developers proactively address vulnerabilities during the development lifecycle.
  • Dynamic application security testing (DAST): DAST takes a different approach by monitoring a running application and performing real-time penetration testing. By sending various unusual or malicious inputs to the application, DAST tools evaluate how it responds and detects potential vulnerabilities or bugs. Developers receive detailed reports highlighting identified vulnerabilities.

Veracode and Checkmarx offer both SAST and DAST functionality.

The relationship between SAST and DAST
  • Runtime application self-protection (RASP): RASP solutions take application security a step further, residing inside the application environment itself. Embedded in the runtime environment, RASP can accurately distinguish between malicious and legitimate actions. Fortify is one well-known example of RASP.

Cloud Security

Cloud security solutions safeguard assets hosted in cloud environments. These solutions encompass both on-premises network security measures, such as firewalls, VPNs, and intrusion detection systems, as well as cloud-specific solutions.

Cloud workload protection platforms (CWPPs) monitor the usage of cloud resources by specific applications and detect any suspicious activities. Acting as intermediaries, cloud access security brokers (CASBs) provide an additional security layer between cloud users and providers. Cloud security posture management solutions (CSPM) focus on identifying and resolving cloud misconfigurations.

How CWPP and CSPM relate to one another

While many cloud providers offer built-in security solutions or as extensions, some organizations require specific cybersecurity controls. Third-party cloud security solutions like Sophos Central, Check Point CloudGuard, and Proofpoint deliver comprehensive protection and ensure the integrity of cloud assets.

IoT Security

IoT security solutions safeguard the wide range of devices that connect to the internet and interact with one another. This includes a wide range of technologies, such as contactless payment systems, medical smart wearables, and smart sensors.

As the IoT landscape expands, so does the potential risk. According to a 2022 report by IBM, the average cost of a data breach increases by $152,465 in an IoT environment, highlighting the urgent need for robust security measures.

IoT security is closely related to endpoint security, and many of their respective security measures overlap. Nevertheless, there are specialized security solutions designed to manage, monitor, and defend IoT devices. Prominent examples of IoT security solutions include AWS IoT Device Defender, Forescout, and McAfee Embedded Control. These solutions offer comprehensive features to detect and mitigate threats specific to IoT devices, ensuring the integrity and privacy of data transmitted between interconnected devices.

How To Optimize Your Cybersecurity Solutions: A Practical Guide

To see the return on investment (ROI) of cybersecurity solutions, it is essential to understand how to select the tools that best align with your organization’s specific cybersecurity needs, budget, and operational capacity. Merely buying numerous tools does not guarantee optimal security, so it is important to build your cybersecurity setup with intention.

#1 Create an Asset Inventory

Compile a comprehensive list of all potential entry points that cybercriminals could exploit (including internal and external attack surfaces.) This inventory will help you identify which assets require protection and guide your selection process.

An example of asset inventory from Risk3sixty

#2 Review Legal and Industry Requirements

Familiarize yourself with the legal and industry-specific cybersecurity regulations relevant to your business. Ensure that your cybersecurity measures align with these requirements. Make sure to consider individual roles and responsibilities within your organization. You may need to adjust your personnel or consider outsourcing to a cybersecurity professional.

#3 Conduct a Risk Assessment

Identify vulnerabilities and assess their potential impact and likelihood of occurrence. Prioritize them based on their significance to and potential impact on your organization’s security. Deloitte’s research reports that 56% of high performing companies conduct qualitative risk assessments to optimize ROI. Use relevant questions from the below list informed by governmental best practices to guide your risk assessment process.

#4 Align with Business Goals

Your cybersecurity choices should align with your broader business objectives, growth plans, and strategic partnerships. Ensure that the solutions you select contribute to the overall success of your organization. Put in place cybersecurity infrastructure that takes into account forecasted growth.

#5 Regularly Update Cybersecurity Infrastructure

Recognize that your company’s processes are dynamic, and that changes in operations may require adjustments to your cybersecurity measures. Conduct annual reviews of your cybersecurity infrastructure, as 66% of companies with high cyber performance do.

Implementing Cybersecurity Solutions to Meet Compliance Requirements

In certain cases, implementing specific cybersecurity measures becomes necessary not only because you recognize their importance, but also due to legal requirements, insurance policies, or industry standards.

To ensure compliance and protect your business:

Here are some examples of common regulations that require specific cybersecurity solutions:

Outsourcing Cybersecurity

In today’s dynamic threat landscape, many businesses, regardless of their size, choose to outsource part or all of their cybersecurity management to specialized third-party providers. This strategic decision offers numerous advantages, including cost-effectiveness, access to expertise, round-the-clock coverage, and cutting-edge technologies.

According to IBM, organizations that opt for managed security services can reduce the average cost of data breaches by $69,100, emphasizing the value of outsourcing. There are several common options for outsourcing cybersecurity:

By outsourcing cybersecurity to external providers, businesses can tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience, ensuring robust protection against evolving threats while reducing the burden on in-house employees. The expertise, resources, and advanced technologies offered by these providers enable organizations to strengthen their security posture, while also benefiting from cost savings and round-the-clock vigilance.

Top Cybersecurity Solutions Trends In 2023

The evolving cybersecurity landscape is driving significant changes and innovations in cybersecurity solutions, particularly impacting enterprises and industries with high cybersecurity dependencies, like finance, healthcare, and retail. However, it is crucial for all organizations in all sectors and of all sizes to stay informed about these trends in order to optimize their cybersecurity efforts and return on their cybersecurity investment. Let’s explore three of the top cybersecurity trends for 2023: AI, zero trust, and quantum-safe cryptography.

Artificial Intelligence

The widespread adoption of AI extends to cybersecurity. Cybersecurity providers are actively integrating machine learning capabilities into their solutions. In fact, by 2025, around 82% of IT and security decision-makers plan to invest in AI-driven cybersecurity solutions.

AI enhances various aspects of cybersecurity, particularly the detection of, and response to, malicious activities. AI algorithms can identify unknown vulnerabilities by analyzing patterns derived from previous attacks. The automation and speed offered by AI significantly improve detection capabilities, reduce costs, and deliver more precise results. AI can even uncover hidden patterns that may go unnoticed by human analysts.

Zero Trust Framework

The concept of zero trust challenges the traditional notion of trust within networks, emphasizing the need for continuous verification of all network requests, assuming breach, and adopting the principle of least privilege access. This approach addresses the evolving business landscape, including the need to secure remote workers, manage hybrid cloud environments, and combat ransomware attacks.

Zero-trust technologies encompass a range of security measures, including risk-based multi-factor authentication, continuous threat monitoring, network microsegmentation, and reliable cloud workload verification. These technologies aim to ensure the authentication and authorization of users or systems while maintaining a high level of security.

Gartner forecasts that by 2026, 10% of large companies will have mature zero-trust programs in place, a significant increase from less than 1% in 2023. Recognized organizations have already established standards, such as NIST 800-207, which can guide companies in implementing a zero-trust infrastructure.

A growing number of cybersecurity solutions are built upon the principles of zero trust. Examples include multi-factor authentication (MFA,) zero trust network access, and secure access service edge (SASE) solutions.

Businesses that stand to benefit the most from implementing zero-trust solutions include those looking to protect their cloud environments and/or manage legacy systems, SaaS applications, and unmanaged devices, as well as those subject to industry or compliance requirements. By adopting a zero-trust approach, organizations can strengthen their security posture, mitigate risk, and safeguard their critical assets in an increasingly complex and interconnected digital landscape.

Quantum-Safe Cryptography

As quantum computing continues to advance, it poses a significant threat to traditional encryption methods. Once quantum computers become widely accessible, the ability to break encryption that would have taken classical computers millions of years will be achievable within hours or even minutes by cybercriminals. To address this imminent challenge, the concept of quantum-safe cryptography emerges as a viable solution.

Although quantum computers are not available today, the pace of technological progress is rapid. For instance, in May 2023 IBM opened access to its latest Osprey Quantum Processor, boasting an impressive 413 Qubits. Such advancements indicate that the era of practical quantum computing is drawing closer.

Recognizing the need for quantum-resistant encryption, the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has taken a proactive role. NIST announced the development of a post-quantum cryptographic standard, which is expected to be finalized by 2024. This standard will provide guidelines for implementing cryptographic algorithms that can withstand attacks from powerful quantum computers.

Considering these developments, it is crucial for any organization that relies on encryption to prepare for the quantum computing era. This involves understanding the potential impact on their current security infrastructure and implementing quantum-safe cryptographic solutions. Organizations can either undertake this transition independently or choose to partner with a trusted managed security service provider (MSSP) that specializes in quantum-safe cryptography. An experienced MSSP can guide organizations through the process, ensuring a smooth transition and maintaining the highest level of data security.

Conclusion

The rise of cyber threats and hacking tool availability makes it essential for businesses to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Unprepared organizations are prime targets, necessitating baseline cybersecurity tools to protect critical digital assets. However, a strategic approach to cybersecurity investments is crucial, as adopting expensive or trendy solutions doesn’t guarantee protection. To ensure ROI and effective cybersecurity, businesses should conduct risk assessments, consider compliance requirements, and align security measures with business plans and objectives. By making informed decisions and implementing the right cybersecurity toolkit, businesses can boost resilience against evolving threats, safeguard digital assets, and operate securely in the digital age.

To assist you in navigating the complex landscape of cybersecurity solutions, we invite you to explore Gcore’s security tools—like DDoS Protection—or consult our experts. Our resources provide valuable insights and guidance on selecting the most suitable cybersecurity solutions for your organization.

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Why do bad actors carry out Minecraft DDoS attacks?

One of the most played video games in the world, Minecraft, relies on servers that are frequently a target of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. But why would malicious actors target Minecraft servers? In this article, we’ll look at why these servers are so prone to DDoS attacks and uncover the impact such attacks have on the gaming community and broader cybersecurity landscape. For a comprehensive analysis and expert tips, read our ultimate guide to preventing DDoS attacks on Minecraft servers.Disruption for financial gainFinancial exploitation is a typical motivator for DDoS attacks in Minecraft. Cybercriminals frequently demand ransom to stop their attacks. Server owners, especially those with lucrative private or public servers, may feel pressured to pay to restore normalcy. In some cases, bad actors intentionally disrupt competitors to draw players to their own servers, leveraging downtime for monetary advantage.Services that offer DDoS attacks for hire make these attacks more accessible and widespread. These malicious services target Minecraft servers because the game is so popular, making it an attractive and easy option for attackers.Player and server rivalriesRivalries within the Minecraft ecosystem often escalate to DDoS attacks, driven by competition among players, servers, hosts, and businesses. Players may target opponents during tournaments to disrupt their gaming experience, hoping to secure prize money for themselves. Similarly, players on one server may initiate attacks to draw members to their server and harm the reputation of other servers. Beyond individual players, server hosts also engage in DDoS attacks to disrupt and induce outages for their rivals, subsequently attempting to poach their customers. On a bigger scale, local pirate servers may target gaming service providers entering new markets to harm their brand and hold onto market share. These rivalries highlight the competitive and occasionally antagonistic character of the Minecraft community, where the stakes frequently surpass in-game achievements.Personal vendettas and retaliationPersonal conflicts can occasionally be the source of DDoS attacks in Minecraft. In these situations, servers are targeted in retribution by individual gamers or disgruntled former employees. These attacks are frequently the result of complaints about unsolved conflicts, bans, or disagreements over in-game behavior. Retaliation-driven DDoS events can cause significant disruption, although lower in scope than attacks with financial motivations.Displaying technical masterySome attackers carry out DDoS attacks to showcase their abilities. Minecraft is a perfect testing ground because of its large player base and community-driven server infrastructure. Successful strikes that demonstrate their skills enhance reputations within some underground communities. Instead of being a means to an end, the act itself becomes a badge of honor for those involved.HacktivismHacktivists—people who employ hacking as a form of protest—occasionally target Minecraft servers to further their political or social goals. These attacks are meant to raise awareness of a subject rather than be driven by personal grievances or material gain. To promote their message, they might, for instance, assault servers that are thought to support unfair policies or practices. This would be an example of digital activism. Even though they are less frequent, these instances highlight the various reasons why DDoS attacks occur.Data theftMinecraft servers often hold significant user data, including email addresses, usernames, and sometimes even payment information. Malicious actors sometimes launch DDoS attacks as a smokescreen to divert server administrators’ attention from their attempts to breach the server and steal confidential information. This dual-purpose approach disrupts gameplay and poses significant risks to user privacy and security, making data theft one of the more insidious motives behind such attacks.Securing the Minecraft ecosystemDDoS attacks against Minecraft are motivated by various factors, including personal grudges, data theft, and financial gain. Every attack reveals wider cybersecurity threats, interferes with gameplay, and damages community trust. Understanding these motivations can help server owners take informed steps to secure their servers, but often, investing in reliable DDoS protection is the simplest and most effective way to guarantee that Minecraft remains a safe and enjoyable experience for players worldwide. By addressing the root causes and improving server resilience, stakeholders can mitigate the impact of such attacks and protect the integrity of the game.Gcore offers robust, multi-layered security solutions designed to shield gaming communities from the ever-growing threat of DDoS attacks. Founded by gamers for gamers, Gcore understands the industry’s unique challenges. Our tools enable smooth gameplay and peace of mind for both server owners and players.Want an in-depth look at how to secure your Minecraft servers?Download our ultimate guide

What is a DDoS attack?

A DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack is a type of cyberattack in which a hacker overwhelms a server with an excessive number of requests, causing the server to stop functioning properly. This can cause the website, app, game, or other online service to become slow, unresponsive, or completely unavailable. DDoS attacks can result in lost customers and revenue for the victim. DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly common, with a 46% increase in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.How do DDoS attacks work?DDoS attacks work by overwhelming and flooding a company’s resources so that legitimate users cannot get through. The attacker creates huge amounts of malicious traffic by creating a botnet, a collection of compromised devices that work together to carry out the attack without the device owners’ knowledge. The attacker, referred to as the botmaster, sends instructions to the botnet in order to implement the attack. The attacker forces these bots to send an enormous amount of internet traffic to a victim’s resource. As a result, the server can’t process real users trying to access the website or app. This causes customer dissatisfaction and frustration, lost revenue, and reputational damage for companies.Think of it this way: Imagine a vast call center. Someone dials the number but gets a busy tone. This is because a single spammer has made thousands of automated calls from different phones. The call center’s lines are overloaded, and the legitimate callers cannot get through.DDoS attacks work similarly, but online: The fraudster’s activity completely blocks the end users from reaching the website or online service.Different types of DDoS attacksThere are three categories of DDoS attacks, each attacking a different network communication layer. These layers come from the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model, the foundational framework for network communication that describes how different systems and devices connect and communicate. This model has seven layers. DDoS attacks seek to exploit vulnerabilities across three of them: L3, L4, and L7.While all three types of attacks have the same end goal, they differ in how they work and which online resources they target. L3 and L4 DDoS attacks target servers and infrastructure, while L7 attacks affect the app itself.Volumetric attacks (L3) overwhelm the network equipment, bandwidth, or server with a high volume of traffic.Connection protocol attacks (L4) target the resources of a network-based service, like website firewalls or server operating systems.Application layer attacks (L7) overwhelm the network layer, where the application operates with many malicious requests, which leads to application failure.1. Volumetric attacks (L3)L3, or volumetric, DDoS attacks are the most common form of DDoS attack. They work by flooding internal networks with malicious traffic, aiming to exhaust bandwidth and disrupt the connection between the target network or service and the internet. By exploiting key communication protocols, attackers send massive amounts of traffic, often with spoofed IP addresses, to overwhelm the victim’s network. As the network equipment strains to process this influx of data, legitimate requests are delayed or dropped, leading to service degradation or even complete network failure.2. Connection protocol attacks (L4)Protocol attacks occur when attackers send connection requests from multiple IP addresses to target server open ports. One common tactic is a SYN flood, where attackers initiate connections without completing them. This forces the server to allocate resources to these unfinished sessions, quickly leading to resource exhaustion. As these fake requests consume the server’s CPU and memory, legitimate traffic is unable to get through. Firewalls and load balancers managing incoming traffic can also be overwhelmed, resulting in service outages.3. Application layer attacks (L7)Application layer attacks strike at the L7 layer, where applications operate. Web applications handle everything from simple static websites to complex platforms like e-commerce sites, social media networks, and SaaS solutions. In an L7 attack, a hacker deploys multiple bots or machines to repeatedly request the same resource until the server becomes overwhelmed.By mimicking genuine user behavior, attackers flood the web application with seemingly legitimate requests, often at high rates. For example, they might repeatedly submit incorrect login credentials or overload the search function by continuously searching for products. As the server consumes its resources managing these fake requests, genuine users experience slow response times or may be completely denied access to the application.How can DDoS attacks be prevented?To stay one step ahead of attackers, use a DDoS protection solution to protect your web resources. A mitigation solution detects and blocks harmful DDoS traffic sent by attackers, keeping your servers and applications safe and functional. If an attacker targets your server, your legitimate users won’t notice any change—even during a considerable attack—because the protection solution will allow safe traffic while identifying and blocking malicious requests.DDoS protection providers also give you reports on attempted DDoS attacks. This way, you can track when the attack happened, as well as the size and scale of the attack. This enables you to respond effectively, analyze the potential implications of the attack, and implement risk management strategies to mitigate future disruptions.Repel DDoS attacks with GcoreAt Gcore, we offer robust and proven security solutions to protect your business from DDoS attacks. Gcore DDoS Protection provides comprehensive mitigation at L3, L4, and L7 for websites, apps, and servers. We also offer L7 protection as part of Gcore WAAP, which keeps your web apps and APIs secure against a range of modern threats using AI-enabled threat detection.Take a look at our recent Radar report to learn more about the latest DDoS attack trends and the changing strategies and patterns of cyberattacks.Read our DDoS Attack Trends Radar report

How to Spot and Stop a DDoS Attack

The faster you detect and resolve a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack, the less damage it can do to your business. Read on to learn how to identify the signs of a DDoS attack, differentiate it from other issues, and implement effective protection strategies to safeguard your business. You’ll also discover why professional mitigation is so important for your business.The Chronology of a DDoS AttackThe business impact of a DDoS attack generally increases the longer it continues. While the first few minutes might not be noticeable without a dedicated solution with monitoring capabilities, your digital services could be taken offline within an hour. No matter who your customer is or how you serve them, every business stands to lose customers, credibility, and revenue through downtime.The First Few Minutes: Initial Traffic SurgeAttackers often start with a low-volume traffic flow to avoid early detection. This phase, known as pre-flooding, evaluates the target system’s response and defenses. You may notice a slight increase in traffic, but it could still be within the range of normal fluctuations.Professional DDoS mitigation services use algorithms to spot these surges, identify whether the traffic increase is malicious, and stop attacks before they can have an impact. Without professional protection, it’s almost impossible to spot this pre-flooding phase, leading you into the following phases of an attack.The First Hour: Escalating TrafficThe attack will quickly escalate, resulting in a sudden and extreme increase in traffic volume. During this stage, network performance will start to degrade noticeably, causing unusually slow loading times for websites and services.Look out for network disconnections, or unusually slow performance. These are telltale signs of a DDoS attack in its early stages.The First Few Hours: Service DisruptionAs the attack intensifies, the website may become completely inaccessible. You might experience an increased volume of spam emails as part of a coordinated effort to overwhelm your systems. Frequent loss of connectivity within the local network can occur as the attack overloads the infrastructure.You can identify this stage by looking for website or network unavailability. Users will experience continuous problems when trying to connect to the targeted application or server.Within 24 Hours: Sustained ImpactIf the attack continues, the prolonged high traffic volume will cause extended service outages and significant slowdowns. By this point, it is clear that a DDoS attack is in progress, especially if multiple indicators are present simultaneously.By now, not only is your website and/or network unavailable, but you’re also at high risk of data breaches due to the loss of control of your digital resources.Distinguishing DDoS Attacks from Other IssuesWhile DDoS attack symptoms like slow performance and service outages are common, they can also be caused by other problems. Here’s how to differentiate between a DDoS attack and other issues:AspectDDoS attackHosting problemsLegitimate traffic spikeSoftware issuesTraffic volumeSudden, extreme increaseNo significant increaseHigh but expected during peaksNormal, higher, lower, or zeroService responseExtremely slow or unavailableSlow or intermittentSlower but usually functionalErratic, with specific errorsError messagesFrequent Service UnavailableInternal Server Error, TimeoutNo specific errors, slower responsesSpecific to the softwareDurationProlonged, until mitigatedVaries, often until resolvedTemporary, during peaks, often predictableVaries based on the bugSource of trafficMultiple, distributed, malicious signaturesConsistent with normal traffic, localizedGeographically diverse, consistent patternsDepends on the user baseProtective Strategies Against DDoS AttacksPrevention is the best defense against DDoS attacks. Here are some strategies to protect your business:Content delivery networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute your traffic across multiple servers worldwide, reducing the load on any single server and mitigating the impact of DDoS attacks.DDoS protection solutions: These services provide specialized tools to detect, mitigate, and block DDoS attacks. They continuously monitor traffic patterns in real time to detect anomalies and automatically respond to and stop attacks without manual intervention.Web application and API protection (WAAP): WAAP solutions protect web applications and APIs from a wide range of threats, including DDoS attacks. They use machine learning and behavioral analysis to detect and block sophisticated attacks, from DDoS assaults to SQL injections.Gcore provides all three protection strategies in a single platform, offering your business the security it needs to thrive in a challenging threat landscape.Don’t Delay, Protect Your Business NowGcore provides comprehensive DDoS protection, keeping your services online and your business thriving even during an attack. Explore Gcore DDoS Protection or get instant protection now.Discover the latest DDoS trends and threats in our H3 2023 report

Improve Your Privacy and Data Security with TLS Encryption on CDN

The web is a public infrastructure: Anyone can use it. Encryption is a must to ensure that communications over this public infrastructure are secure and private. You don’t want anyone to read or modify the data you send or receive, like credit card information when paying for an online service.TLS encryption is a basic yet crucial safeguard that ensures only the client (the user’s device, like a laptop) and server can read your request and response data; third parties are locked out. You can run TLS on a CDN for improved performance, caching, and TLS management. If you want to learn more about TLS and how running it on a CDN can improve your infrastructure, this is the right place to start.What Is TLS Encryption and Why Does It Matter?TLS, transport layer security, encrypts data sent via the web to prevent it from being seen or changed while it’s in transit. For that reason, it’s called encryption in-transit technology. TLS is also commonly called HTTPS when used with HTTP or SSL, as previous versions of the technology were based on it. TLS ensures high encryption performance and forward secrecy. To learn more about encryption, check out our dedicated article.TLS is a vital part of the web because it ensures trust for end users and search engines alike. End users can rest assured that their data—like online banking information or photos of their children—can’t be accessed. Search engines know that information protected by TLS is trustworthy, so they rate it higher than non-protected content.What’s the Connection Between TLS and CDN?A CDN, or content delivery network, helps improve your website’s performance by handling the delivery of your content from its own servers rather than your website’s server. When a CDN uses TLS, it ensures that your content is encrypted as it travels from your server to the CDN and from the CDN to your users.With TLS offloading, your server only needs to encrypt the content for each CDN node, not for every individual user. This reduces the workload on your server.Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works:Your server encrypts the content once and sends it to the CDN.The CDN caches this encrypted content.When a user requests the content, the CDN serves it directly to them, handling all encryption and reducing the need to repeatedly contact your server.Without a CDN, your server would have to encrypt and send content to each user individually, which can slow things down. With a CDN, your server encrypts the content once for the CDN. The CDN then takes over, encrypting and serving the content to all users, speeding up the process and reducing the load on your server.Figure 1: Comparison of how content is served with TLS on the web server (left) vs on CDN (right)Benefits of “Offloading” TLS to a CDNOffloading TLS to a CDN can improve your infrastructure with improved performance, better caching, and simplified TLS management.Increased PerformanceWhen establishing a TLS connection, the client and server must exchange information to negotiate a session key. This exchange involves four messages being sent over the network, as shown in Figure 2. The higher the latency between the two participants, the longer it takes to establish the connection. CDN nodes are typically closer to the client, resulting in lower latency and faster connection establishment.As mentioned above, CDN nodes handle all the encryption tasks. This frees up your server’s resources for other tasks and allows you to simplify its code base.Figure 2: TLS handshakeImproved CachingIf your data is encrypted, the CDN can’t cache it. A single file will look different from the CDN nodes for every new TLS connection, eliminating the CDN benefits (Figure 3). If the CDN holds the certificates, it can negotiate encryption with the clients and collect the files from your server in plaintext. This allows the CDN to cache the content efficiently and serve it faster to users.Figure 3: TLS and CDN caching comparedSimplified TLS ManagementThe CDN takes care of maintenance tasks such as certificate issuing, rotation, and auto-renewal. With the CDN managing TLS, your server’s code base can be simplified, and you no longer need to worry about potential TLS updates in the future.TLS Encryption with Gcore CDNWith the Gcore CDN we don’t just take care of your TLS encryption, but also file compression and DNS lookups. This way, you can unburden your servers from non-functional requirements, which leads to smaller, easier-to-maintain code bases, lower CPU, memory, and traffic impact, and a lower workload for the teams managing those servers.Gcore CDN offers two TLS offloading options:Free Let’s Encrypt certificates with automatic validation, an effective and efficient choice for simple security needsPaid custom certificates, ideal if your TLS setup has more complex requirementsHow to Enable HTTPS with a Free Let’s Encrypt CertificateSetting up HTTPS for your website is quick, easy, and free. First, make sure you have a Gcore CDN resource for your website. If you haven’t created one yet, you can do so in the Gcore Customer Portal by clicking Create CDN resource in the top-right of the window (Figure 4) and following the setup wizard. You’ll be asked to update your DNS records so they point to the Gcore CDN, allowing Gcore to issue the certificates later.Figure 4: Create CDN resourceNext, open the resource settings by selecting your CDN resource from the list in the center (Figure 5).Figure 5: Select the CDN resourceEnable HTTPS in the resource settings, as shown in Figure 6:Select SSL in the left navigationClick the Enable HTTPS checkboxClick Get SSL certificateFigure 6: Get an SSL certificateYour certificate will usually be issued within 30 minutes.Our Commitment to Online SecurityAt Gcore, we’re committed to making the internet secure for everyone. As part of this mission, we offer free CDN and free TLS certificates. Take advantage and protect your resources efficiently for free!Get TLS encryption on Gcore CDN free

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