A DDoS attack, or Distributed Denial of Service attack, is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic. This is typically achieved by using multiple compromised computers, often part of a botnet, to send excessive requests to the target, making it unable to respond to legitimate users. These attacks can cause significant downtime and loss of revenue for businesses, as well as damage to their reputation. Organizations often implement various security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, to help mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks.