What Is a DDoS Attack – And How Can It Cripple Your Business?

Imagine this: you’re trying to buy tickets for a big event — a major concert, a popular festival, or a high-stakes football match. You refresh the page eagerly, only to be met with an error message. The website crashes. It can’t handle the sheer number of people all trying to access it at once.

That kind of traffic overload is frustrating when you're trying to get tickets — but it's downright catastrophic when it happens to your business. And unfortunately, cybercriminals have figured out how to intentionally replicate this kind of chaos. It’s called a DDoS attack, and it’s a growing threat to businesses of all sizes.

So What Exactly Is a DDoS Attack?

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. In simple terms, it’s an attack where criminals flood your business’s online systems — such as your website, servers, or cloud platforms — with an overwhelming amount of traffic, all at once. This is done using a large network of compromised computers and devices, often spread across the globe.

The result? Your servers buckle under the pressure. Legitimate customers and users can’t access your site, use your services, or complete transactions. Operations grind to a halt.

DDoS attacks aren’t about stealing your data — they’re about making your systems unusable, even for a short time. But the financial and reputational damage caused by that downtime can be devastating.

In a world where business happens online, even an hour offline can cost thousands in lost sales, broken trust, and customer frustration.

Why You Should Take DDoS Attacks Seriously

Some business owners dismiss DDoS attacks as a problem for only large corporations or global brands. But that’s a dangerous assumption. In reality, small and medium-sized businesses are just as much at risk — sometimes even more so, because they tend to have weaker defences and less redundancy in their systems.

Let’s break it down:

• In 2024, the average DDoS attack lasted around 50 minutes. That might not sound long, but in business terms, it’s an eternity. Imagine your online shop, booking system, or client portal going down for nearly an hour. That’s enough to drive customers elsewhere, ruin time-sensitive transactions, and leave your team scrambling.
• DDoS attacks are becoming more common. With low-cost attack tools easily available on the dark web, even amateur cybercriminals can launch damaging assaults with minimal effort.
• They’re also getting more sophisticated. Attackers now use intelligent tactics to bypass basic protections, making these attacks harder to detect and stop.
• Most alarming of all: DDoS attacks are getting much larger. One of the largest ever recorded was recently blocked at an astonishing 71 million requests per second (RPS) — obliterating the previous record of 46 million RPS. That’s more traffic than some of the world’s busiest websites receive in an entire day, condensed into seconds.

‍

‍

‍

‍

‍

The Rise of Ransom DDoS Attacks (RDoS)

To make matters worse, cybercriminals are increasingly pairing DDoS attacks with ransom demands — a tactic known as Ransom DDoS (RDoS). Here's how it works:

1. The attacker targets your system with a short, sharp DDoS attack to demonstrate what they’re capable of.
2. Then they send a message demanding payment — often in cryptocurrency — in exchange for halting future, more prolonged attacks.
3. If you don’t pay, they intensify the assault, potentially keeping your services offline for hours or days.

Even if you choose not to pay (which is generally advised), the disruption caused during negotiations or while attempting to mitigate the attack can severely impact your business. And if word gets out that your systems were down due to an attack, it can shake customer confidence.

What Does a DDoS Attack Look Like in Action?

Let’s say you run an e-commerce website. A DDoS attack might cause:

• Website slowness or total unresponsiveness
• Checkout failures, resulting in lost sales
• Angry customers venting on social media or requesting refunds
• Support teams overwhelmed with calls and emails
• Loss of visibility in search rankings due to site downtime
• Potential data loss if the attack is used as a distraction for further intrusions

Now imagine this same scenario happening to a law firm, a medical clinic’s patient portal, or a financial services provider. The stakes are high — and the consequences extend beyond just lost sales.

How to Protect Your Business from DDoS Attacks

The good news? With the right approach, DDoS attacks can be mitigated or even completely prevented. But it requires a layered, proactive defence strategy.

Here are some key steps every business should take:

1. Strengthen Your Firewalls and Network Infrastructure

Your firewalls are the first line of defence. Ensure they are not only up to date but also capable of handling modern threats. Many firewalls now come with built-in DDoS detection and prevention tools, which can spot unusual traffic patterns and respond automatically.

2. Invest in DDoS Mitigation Tools

There are purpose-built DDoS protection solutions available — either as standalone tools or services built into cloud platforms (like AWS Shield, Azure DDoS Protection, or Cloudflare). These systems can filter traffic at scale, absorb the surge, and prevent it from ever reaching your core infrastructure.

3. Work With a Managed IT Provider

DDoS attacks are complex and evolve quickly. A dedicated IT security partner can monitor your systems 24/7, provide early warnings, and implement defences tailored to your specific risk profile. They can also assist with recovery strategies if an attack does occur.

If you're based in Essex or London, partnering with a local provider ensures quick response times and a team that understands your business environment.

4. Train Your Team

While DDoS attacks are technical in nature, human error often contributes to poor security. Your employees should be trained to recognise signs of a cyberattack, know who to contact in an emergency, and understand basic cybersecurity hygiene.

Regular drills and clear communication channels can significantly improve your business's response time.

5. Review and Update Your Security Protocols

Cybersecurity isn’t “set it and forget it.” As threats evolve, so must your defences. Carry out regular risk assessments, update software and firmware, and review your incident response plans every few months — especially if your business has scaled or changed operations.

Need Help Securing Your Business From DDoS and Other Cyber Threats?

DDoS attacks aren’t just a problem for massive corporations — they’re an increasing threat to local businesses, SMEs, and fast-growing startups. If your business relies on online systems to function, even a few minutes of downtime can cause significant damage.

That’s why it’s crucial to put robust, proactive protections in place before an attack happens.

At [Your Business Name], we specialise in helping companies across London, Essex, and the surrounding areas protect their IT infrastructure from DDoS attacks and other cybersecurity threats.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade your existing systems, implement 24/7 monitoring, or simply understand your current risk exposure, we’re here to help.

Don’t Wait Until an Attack Disrupts Your Business

Cybercriminals don’t discriminate. And they’re not waiting for your systems to be ready. So why should you wait to act?

Get in touch with our expert IT security team today. We’ll help you assess your vulnerabilities, strengthen your defences, and give you the peace of mind that your business is secure — no matter what threats come your way.

‍