Is your hosting provider prepared for a DDoS attack?

Initially a fairly rudimental way to shut websites down, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks have evolved into a complex and potentially catastrophic technique for cybercriminals to compromise valuable data.

With one survey of IT managers finding that the average cost of a DDoS attack was $40,000, it is imperative that businesses operating online recognize this threat and do something about it, which should start with your choice of hosting provider. One option is to switch from a shared hosting solution to a dedicated server, where your website can enjoy complete control over access and security. However, hosting providers and ISPs have a crucial part to play too.

Addressing the threat posed by DDoS attacks

"Imagine running a bath and seeing that a quarter of the water coming through the tap was contaminated", says Dave Larson, COO at Corero Network Security. "When the bill from the water company came, I don’t imagine anyone being too happy paying for a contaminated supply. People can justifiably look at their Internet service in the same way".

Hosting providers that do not have effective DDoS mitigation as part of their service offering could well be allowing harmful traffic to access your systems or networks. However, the measures that hosting providers put in place to protect websites from DDoS attacks shouldn’t undermine or overlook legitimate users either.

In the past, hosting provides would send all traffic to an IP location that didn’t exist, which could include customers. Therefore, the very security step hosting providers were implementing was actually doing the work of a DDoS attack anyway.

Thankfully, technology has now caught up and surpassed the capabilities of most hackers using DDoS attacks for malicious means.

Preventing DDoS attacks with the latest technology

"There are now technological innovations that utilize real-time mitigation tools installed directly inline with the peering point, meaning customer traffic can be protected as it travels across an organization's network", reveals Larson.

This means hosting providers are able to provide customers with protection that ensures sites and applications can remain uninterrupted and unimpeded. Much of this technology will come as standard with certain hosting service packages, capitalizing on the abilities of automation and maximizing efficiency by eliminating the need for human intervention.

Hosting providers can also adjust and alter their offering according to the customer, allowing only legitimate traffic to pass through.

As Larson explains: "It’s a win-win for both sides, as providers’ services become more streamlined and reliable, protecting their reputation and attracting more customers. The upside for the customer is that they’re no longer paying for poorly filtered traffic".

Choosing the right hosting provider

With access to purpose-built technology that can halt DDoS attacks before they enter a customer’s network while still letting good traffic pass through, there is no excuse for hosting providers not to provide security as part of their service offering.

If you are currently with a company that not only has weak DDoS defences but will also charge you for accepting malicious traffic that you didn’t ask for in the first place, it is about time you switched hosting providers.

Photo Credit: Fabio Berti/Shutterstock

Debbie Fletcher is an enthusiastic, experienced writer who has written for a range of different magazines and news publications over the years. Graduating from City University London specializing in English Literature, Debbie's passion for writing has since grown. She loves anything and everything technology, and exploring different cultures across the world. She's currently looking towards starting her Masters in Comparative Literature in the next few years.