What does DDoS stand for?

DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. This term describes a malicious attack in which multiple compromised systems, often part of a botnet, are used to flood a target server, service, or network with a massive amount of traffic. The distribution aspect is crucial because it allows the attack to come from multiple sources, making it significantly more difficult to mitigate than a standard Denial of Service (DoS) attack, which typically originates from a single source.

In a DDoS attack, the coordinated nature of the traffic surge can overwhelm the target’s resources, leading to downtime or degraded service, affecting legitimate users. Understanding that the 'distributed' component is key highlights the sophistication behind such attacks and why they pose a serious threat to organizations and their online presence. The other terms provided do not accurately reflect the methodology or intent behind DDoS attacks.