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. The goal of a DDoS attack is to render the targeted system unavailable, causing downtime and potential financial loss. Organizations often implement various security measures, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, to mitigate the impact of these attacks and maintain service availability.