Glossary definition: DOS Attack

DOS Attack: A Threat to Network Security

A DOS attack (denial of service attack) is a malicious attempt to make a computer or network resource unavailable to its intended users. It typically involves flooding the target machine or network with useless requests in an attempt to overload the system and prevent legitimate requests from being processed. The goal of a DOS attack is to disrupt the normal functioning of a system, usually by temporarily or indefinitely disabling the service or resource. The most common type of DOS attack is the distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which is launched from multiple compromised systems. Other types of DOS attacks include ping flood, SYN flood, and teardrop attack. All DOS attacks are illegal and punishable by law.