What type of attack is characterized by flooding a target with traffic?

• A. Phishing attack
• B. DoS (Denial of Service) attack
• C. SQL injection attack
• D. Malware infection

Answer: (B)

A Denial of Service (DoS) attack is characterized by overwhelming a target system, server, or network with excessive traffic, rendering it unavailable to legitimate users. The primary goal of this type of attack is to disrupt the normal functioning of services, making them slow or completely unresponsive. By flooding the target with large volumes of traffic, the attacker can exhaust the system’s resources, such as bandwidth, processing power, or memory, leading to downtime or a complete service outage.

In contrast, other attack types focus on different objectives. Phishing attacks aim to deceive individuals into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords or credit card details, typically through fraudulent emails or websites. SQL injection attacks target databases by injecting malicious SQL queries to manipulate or extract data unlawfully. Malware infections involve the introduction of malicious software onto a system to gain unauthorized access or control, steal data, or damage the system.

Understanding the characteristics of a Denial of Service attack is crucial for recognizing how attackers may disrupt services and the importance of implementing proper cybersecurity measures to protect against such threats.