DDoS Protected VPN: How Can It Prevent DDoS Attacks?

Yes, a DDoS-protected VPN can help prevent DDoS attacks to some extent by hiding your IP address and encrypting your traffic. When your IP address is hidden, it becomes difficult for attackers to locate your network, making it harder for them to target you. Make sure to use a tested and reliable premium VPN.

Additionally, VPNs encrypt web traffic, creating a tunnel between your computer and network, thus hiding activity from your internet service provider (ISP). However, it is important to note that a VPN is not a foolproof solution to stop a DDoS attack. 

The VPN may fail at several points if it fails to implement DDoS attack protection properly, leaving the user vulnerable to attack. Therefore, it is recommended to use only tested premium VPN services with top-class security standards. 

It is also important to keep in mind that a VPN can help prevent DDoS attacks from happening, but there is no way to stop them once they happen. So let’s talk about DDoS-protected VPNs and how they prevent attacks. 

Distributed Denial-of-Service Attacks: An Overview 

Source: https://bunny.net/ 

DDoS or Daniel-of-service attack is one type of cyberattack that floods the victim’s website or server with overwhelming networks from multiple sources. Business, organizations, and individuals can be severely damaged by these attacks, resulting in financial losses, reputational damage, and reduced productivity.

The attacker infects multiple devices with malware, creating a network of compromised devices called a DDoS botnet. These devices can include computers, servers, IoT devices, or even smartphones. Attackers control botnets and command compromised devices to flood the target server or network with malicious traffic.

This flood of traffic can consist of HTTP requests, UDP packets, ICMP packets, or other types of network traffic. As a result of the sheer volume of incoming traffic, the target server or network slows down or crashes. 

This prevents legitimate users from accessing the services or resources provided by the website or server. DDoS attacks can cause a range of problems, including the temporary disruption of websites, applications, or entire businesses.

The motive behind DDoS attacks can vary, including theft, blackmail, launching additional attacks, reputation damage, or causing chaos. Moreover, hackers & activists take down their victim’s website or server for money through this cyberattack.

DDoS attacks are a growing concern for online businesses and individuals alike. In this blog post, we’ll illustrate the key mechanisms behind DDoS-protected VPNs through an informative infographic, showing you how they effectively thwart DDoS attacks and ensure uninterrupted online security

What are the Types of DDoS Attacks?

There are three major types of DDoS attacks: Application level attack, Volumetric attack, and Protocol attack. Let’s discuss them in detail and learn how to prevent them.

Application Attacks

An app layer DDoS attack, also called a 7 DDoS attack, disrupts an app’s content delivery by targeting its application issues. This type of cyber attack specifically targets the application layer. Its main goal is to cause disruptions in the delivery of content.

Source: https://blogs.blackberry.com/ 

These attacks target application layer protocols like HTTP and DNS, aiming to disrupt services or take control of application protocols. Application layer attacks are dangerous and sophisticated tools mostly used to attack user-facing applications and networks. 

They can go undetected by traditional defense systems while still taking down websites or networks. Attackers target specific services or protocols with application layer attacks, making them a common way to disrupt services. 

Examples of application layer DDoS attacks include HTTP GET/POST flood, Slowloris, and DNS amplification attacks. Companies invest in web application firewalls, threat mitigation solutions, and web traffic monitoring tools to stop application layer DDoS attacks.

Volumetric Attacks

A volumetric DDoS attack overwhelms a network or server by flooding it with a large number of data packets. This is done to exhaust the available bandwidth. In these attacks, the target’s resources, such as bandwidth and processing power, are consumed, making it difficult for legitimate users to access the target’s resources.

Source: https://www.wallarm.com/ 

In most cases, volumetric attacks target critical SP services or enterprise customers. The target can be a specific network, server, or website. These attacks can involve sending a large number of data packets to the target, overwhelming its capacity to handle the incoming traffic. 

The primary objective of a volumetric attack is to consume the available network bandwidth, making it difficult for legitimate traffic to pass through. It can result in extensive service disruptions and failures for users trying to access the targeted network or server.

Protocol Attacks

A DDoS protocol attack is a type of cyber attack that exploits weaknesses in network protocols to consume server resources and cause a denial of service. These attacks target the network layer protocols such as TCP, UDP, ICMP, and IP.

Source: https://www.onelogin.com/ 

Protocol attacks are designed to consume resources provided by the target, such as bandwidth and processing power, making it impossible for legitimate users to access them. This attack can have a significant impact by shutting down websites. 

How VPN Protects You From DDoS Attacks?

Graph below shows which industries were most affected by DDoS attacks in 2023. Several industries were attacked with DDoS attacks at the network layer. The Broadcasting industry is top on the list followed by the IT and gaming industries.

Source: https://www.comparitech.com/  

A VPN can protect you from DDoS attacks to some extent by hiding your IP address and encrypting your traffic. It hides your IP address, making it difficult for attackers to locate your network. VPN encrypts your web traffic, creating a tunnel between your device and network, thus hiding activity from your internet service provider (ISP).

Despite this, VPNs are not foolproof solutions to stopping DDoS attacks. If the VPN provider has poorly implemented DDoS attack protection, the VPN can fail at several points, leaving the user vulnerable to the attack.

Therefore, it is recommended to use only tested premium VPN services with top-class security standards. Additionally, a VPN can help prevent DDoS attacks from happening, but once they occur, there is no way to stop them.

How to Choose a VPN to Mitigate DDoS Attacks?

Choosing the right VPN to mitigate DDoS attacks can be challenging, but there are several factors to consider when selecting a VPN service.

• DDoS Protection: You should look for a VPN service that offers DDoS protection. It should offer robust security measures in place to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks in real-time.
  

• Server Network: The VPN requires multiple servers in various locations for users to have many connection options. This helps prevent DDoS attacks by spreading traffic across multiple servers.
  

• Encryption & Speed: The VPN should use strong encryption protocols to protect user data and prevent IP leaks. Also, the VPN should have fast connection speeds to ensure smooth browsing and streaming experiences.
  

• Logging Policy: The VPN should have a strict no-logging policy to ensure user privacy and security. A hacker cannot attack what he cannot see.

Symlex VPN offers all these features to protect you from DDoS attacks. Try Symlex VPN for 5 days risk-free with money back guarantee. Get all the premium features of a secure VPN at an affordable price. Get Symlex VPN now.

FAQs

Can a firewall detect DDoS?

Firewalls can detect DDoS attacks to some extent, but they lack the design to prevent them. Firewalls and IPS aim to stop one entity from intruding, but they cannot identify unusual traffic from DDoS attacks. Therefore, firewalls and IPS are not effective anti-DDoS solutions.

Why is it so hard to defend DDoS?

DDoS attacks are difficult to defend against because they are big, spread out, complex, unpredictable, and use up resources. The traffic generated by these attacks can overwhelm network resources and make it difficult to distinguish legitimate traffic from malicious traffic.

How long do most DDoS attacks last?

Most DDoS attacks last one hour on average. Some attacks can last for hours or days, with the longest lasting 66 hours and ranging from 100 to 250 Gbps. Remember, even a short attack can have a substantial impact on service and network infrastructure, regardless of its duration.

Concluding Thoughts

DDoS-protected VPNs can protect you from DDoS attacks to some extent. They achieve this by hiding your IP and encrypting your data. However, remember that they do have certain limitations. You need a secure DDoS-protected VPN along with other security measures to successfully defend against DDoS attacks. Keep your online presence safe by continually improving your security.