Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Certified Cybersecurity Entry-level Technician (PCCET) Practice Exam

Which type of attack utilizes many endpoints as bots or attackers in a coordinated effort, and can be extremely effective in taking down a website or some other publicly accessible service?

1. Bluetooth

2. Adware

3. Distributed denial-of-service

4. Man-in-the-middle

The correct answer is: Distributed denial-of-service

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is characterized by using multiple compromised endpoints, often referred to as bots or botnets, to launch a coordinated attack against a target. This large-scale utilization of various devices makes it challenging to defend against, as the volume of the traffic generated can overwhelm the target's resources. In a DDoS attack, the attackers typically harness the collective power of numerous infected devices to flood a website or server with excessive traffic. This surge in requests can lead to service unavailability or significantly degrade performance, impacting legitimate users trying to access the service. The effectiveness of a DDoS attack arises not just from the number of attackers involved but also from the diverse and distributed nature of the attack sources, which complicates mitigation efforts. Understanding the mechanics of DDoS attacks is crucial for cybersecurity professionals as they work to implement protective measures and response strategies to safeguard networks and their availability. This type of attack fully embodies the coordinated effort among many endpoints, which is why it is the correct choice for the question posed.