200-201 Question 145
Single answerA cybersecurity analyst observes a sudden spike in traffic targeting a web server. The traffic originates from thousands of IP addresses and causes the server to become unresponsive. What type of network attack is most likely occurring in this scenario?
- A
Denial of Service (DoS)
- B
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
- C
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM)
- D
Protocol-based attack
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The scenario describes a large-scale attack originating from many IP addresses, leading to the web server becoming unresponsive. This matches the characteristics of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, where attackers leverage multiple systems to flood the target with traffic, rendering it inoperative.
- A. Incorrect.
Denial of Service (DoS) attacks typically originate from a single source and aim to overwhelm the target. However, the scenario describes traffic from many IP addresses, which aligns more with a DDoS attack.
- B. Correct.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involve multiple sources (often a botnet) overwhelming a target, making it unresponsive. This matches the described scenario.
- C. Incorrect.
Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks intercept communication between two parties without overwhelming the target. This does not align with the described symptoms.
- D. Incorrect.
Protocol-based attacks exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols such as TCP, UDP, or ICMP. While they can cause disruption, the described scenario specifically highlights traffic volume from numerous sources, which is indicative of a DDoS attack.