A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) is type of attack where multiple compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for users of the targeted system.In DDoS, where the attack source is more than one, often thousands of, unique IP addresses. This effectively makes it impossible to stop the attack simply by blocking a single IP address and it is very difficult to distinguish legitimate user traffic from attack traffic when spread across so many points of origin.

India and DDoS (Recent Internet security report)

According to recent Internet security report by Bengaluru based Akamai technology, India has the dubious distinction of ranking amongst the top 10 source and target countries for such web application attacks. The report said India is a source of 3% and a target of 5% of web application attacks.

Analysis

Frequency and impact of cyber attacks have increased manifold in recent past. Retail and financial services are top targets, given the myriad opportunities malicious actors have to extract and monetize sensitive data.
Such attacks have wide impact, because instruments of espionage, statecraft and even warfare are becoming ever more dependent on information technology, hence tools such as DDoS can be used to disable weapons and cripple the financial system etc.

Suggestions

India has to take resolute action against serious cyber attacks like DDoS by developing cyber security tools.
India’s demographic dividend resource must be channelled to profitable activity that beefs up internet security.
Start-ups can be incentivised to take up well-defined defence-sponsored projects to find solutions to known and unknown internet security problems.

In future distributed denial of service might arise as severe threat to India’s banking, security and other establishments. Hence to safeguard India’s internet security we must build strong security mechanism from threats like DDoS. Tackling cyber attacks is need of the hour.