Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)

A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack overwhelms a system, network, or service with massive amounts of traffic from many sources simultaneously, making it unavailable to legitimate users. Unlike a simple denial of service (DoS) attack from a single source, DDoS attacks use thousands or millions of compromised systems (a botnet) to generate traffic that's difficult to filter or block.

DDoS attacks don't steal data — they disrupt operations. For defense contractors, service disruption can mean missed deadlines, inability to access critical systems, and potential contract performance issues.

Why It Matters

While CMMC focuses primarily on confidentiality, availability is also part of the security triad. Understanding DDoS risks helps you plan for business continuity and ensure critical services remain accessible during an attack.