ABSTRACT
A concept labeled“cloud computing”enables online, on-demand access to a shared pool of computing resources. It offers scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency to organizations, allowing them to focus on their core business functions. However, the popularity and widespread adoption of cloud computing also make it an attractive target for cyber-attacks. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) is one such threat, where a network or service is overwhelmed with an excessive amount of malicious traffic, rendering it inaccessible to legitimate users. DDoS attacks may affect cloud-based services’performance and availability, resulting in severe loss of revenue and damaging their reputation. To combat these attacks, various classification methods have been developed to categorize DDoS attacks based on their characteristics and attack vectors. These classifications aid in understanding attack patterns, developing effective defense mechanisms, and enhancing incident response strategies. Furthermore, attacks using DDoS are often planned to utilizebotnets, which are networks of compromised computers under the direction of one administrator. Botnets amplify the impact of DDoS attacks by harnessing the combined resources of multiple compromised devices. Understanding the operation and behavior of botnets is crucial for mitigating DDoS attacks effectively. This paper provides a description of cloud computing, a look at attacks via DDoS, a method to categorize them, and the role of botnets in carrying out these attacks focusing on the significance of having strong security mechanisms set up in cloud systems in order to protect against these types of risks.
