AP® Cybersecurity glossary
Distributed denial of service (DDoS)
Also called: DDoS, DDoS attack
A denial of service attack in which many devices attack the same target at the same time.
Appears in the course and exam description (CED): 3.1.A.4
Why it matters in Unit 3
Because the traffic comes from many sources at once, a DDoS is harder to block than an attack from one device.
Example
Thousands of compromised smart cameras send traffic to one website at the same moment, and real visitors cannot reach it.
Learn it properly, with a checkpoint 3.1 Network Vulnerabilities and Attacks