Distributed Denial-of-Service

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a form of cyberattack that floods a website or network with multiple requests during a short period of time with the aim of overwhelming the system and causing it to crash. As a result, legitimate users who try to access the site are unable to do so. DDoS attacks achieve effectiveness by utilizing a network of compromised devices, sometimes hundreds or thousands of computers, as sources of malicious traffic. The impact of a DDoS attack can last for days or even months as online businesses try to recover possibly leading to huge losses in revenue and erosion of consumer traffic and trust.

How to Report

If you or your company fall victim to a DDoS, it's important to act quickly:

• File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).