Despite being a decades-old threat, DDoS attacks still come with a cloud of misunderstanding. Every time a myth goes unchecked, organisations risk underestimating threats or misallocating resources. This post debunks the most stubborn DDoS myths and explains what actually matters in DDoS defence.
Myth 1: DDoS attacks are only a problem for big companies
It’s easy to assume that attackers only go after large enterprises, banks, or global platforms. The reality is that any organisation with an online presence can be a target. From small blogs to regional ISPs and even local government websites, attackers often pursue victims based on opportunity rather than size.
In fact, smaller companies may be more attractive because they lack advanced defences. Attackers know that a few minutes or hours of downtime can have a damaging effect on operations and customer trust, making smaller targets just as vulnerable.
Myth 2: Our firewall will protect us from DDoS.
Well, this one depends on what the attack targets, and what kind of attack are we looking at – but to say “our firewall is our DDoS defence strategy” is naive at best. Basic firewalls, especially stateful ones, can easily be overwhelmed. They’re not built to handle the scale, volume, or sophistication of modern DDoS tactics, which frequently involve hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of compromised devices flooding a target with requests. Once the attack volume exceeds the capacity of the firewall or internet link, the service goes offline, regardless of how well those tools normally perform.
Mitigation requires dedicated detection and traffic redirection methods that are specifically designed to separate legitimate traffic from attack traffic at scale.
Myth 3: DDoS is just about downtime
While service outages are the most visible outcome, downtime is not the only risk. DDoS is often used as a smokescreen while attackers attempt to break into systems or exfiltrate data elsewhere. By overwhelming monitoring tools and distracting IT staff, attackers create gaps in visibility that can be exploited.
There’s also the financial dimension. Downtime leads to lost sales, missed opportunities, SLA penalties, and damage to brand reputation. In the case of ransom-driven attacks (RDoS), businesses face extortion demands on top of operational disruption.
Myth 4: DDoS attacks are simple and unsophisticated
Early DDoS attacks were relatively basic, relying on flooding techniques like SYN floods or ICMP floods. Today’s attackers have access to highly flexible botnets and attack tools capable of switching between multiple vectors.
Some attacks target the application layer with carefully crafted requests that mimic real user behaviour, making them far harder to distinguish from legitimate traffic. Others exploit amplification vulnerabilities in internet protocols, multiplying traffic to devastating levels.
Modern campaigns often blend multiple methods in quick succession, creating complex attack scenarios that demand equally advanced detection and mitigation strategies.
Myth 5: Buying more bandwidth solves the problem
While additional bandwidth can absorb small-scale floods, it’s not a long-term solution. Attackers can easily scale their efforts to overwhelm even very large connections. Bandwidth alone does nothing to differentiate between real and malicious traffic.
Relying on bandwidth expansion without traffic filtering is like trying to fight a flood by building a bigger bucket. At some point, the bucket still overflows. The more effective approach is to combine sufficient capacity with intelligent filtering and rerouting strategies.
Myth 6: DDoS attacks don’t last long
Many attacks do end quickly, sometimes within minutes. But attackers are increasingly using sustained or repeated assaults, especially against targets that show weak defences. Multi-hour or multi-day campaigns are not uncommon.
Short bursts of traffic, known as “pulse attacks,” are also used to probe defences, identify weak points, and wear down responders. Even brief attacks can be enough to disrupt online transactions, delay services, and frustrate users.
Myth 7: DDoS is a problem of the past
Because DDoS has been around since the late 1990s, some assume it’s no longer relevant in today’s threat landscape. In reality, attack volumes continue to grow, botnet operators constantly adapt their tools, and new attack vectors appear as internet protocols and services evolve.
Far from disappearing, DDoS remains a favourite tool of hacktivists, extortionists, competitors, and state-sponsored groups. In fact, DDoS has grown into an entire industry in the dark side of the internet, and categorising it as a “problem of the past” is dangerous for the entire internet ecosystem.
Myth 8: Attack detection is easy
In theory, a sudden surge of traffic should be easy to spot. In practice, distinguishing between a legitimate spike (i.e. a flash sale or viral campaign, or any other event that brings an unusually large amount of users to the service) and malicious activity is difficult.
Application-layer attacks complicate the picture further, as they mimic real user patterns. Accurate detection requires analysing traffic behaviour, not just volume, and correlating it across multiple layers. This requires dedicated monitoring and automated systems rather than manual guesswork.
Myth 9: On-premise tools alone are enough
Some organisations rely entirely on on-premise appliances for mitigation. While these play an important role, and may be sufficient in some cases, they have physical and bandwidth limits. Large-scale attacks often need to be absorbed upstream, at the ISP or cloud provider level, before they reach the target network.
The most resilient defence model is layered: on-premise systems handle smaller attacks and provide visibility, while upstream partners filter or divert massive volumes. This hybrid approach ensures protection across a range of attack sizes.
Myth 10: DDoS attacks have been the same for decades
It’s tempting to think of attackers as recycling the same old tricks and do not innovate. In reality, they constantly experiment. Each year brings new variations of protocol abuse, application targeting, and botnet structures. The rise of IoT devices has dramatically expanded the pool of resources attackers can weaponise.
This innovation is driven by the market: DDoS-for-hire services compete with each other, meaning operators invest in new features to keep customers. As long as this underground economy exists, defenders must expect continual adaptation.
Why these myths persist – and what you can do?
Media bias
Gigantic, eye-catching attacks get attention. Smaller, stealthier ones don’t, so the misconception grows.
Overconfidence in legacy tools
Firewalls, CDNs, or ISP protection—used in isolation—give a false sense of safety.
Alert fatigue
Teams focused only on volume spikes may ignore anomalous behaviour in low-rate or polymorphic attacks.
Misunderstanding attack mechanics
Terms like ‘DDoS’ invite assumptions about scale, and make intermediate attackers seem less dangerous.
Real defence starts with myth-busting
To protect your organisation effectively:
- Recognise that not all attacks announce themselves with volumetric noise.
- Assume your firewalls and CDNs are part of a layered defence, but not enough alone.
- Invest in real-time monitoring (flows, application behaviour, user patterns).
- Use a hybrid approach: on-prem signatures, BGP/Flow Spec routing, and cloud scrubbing.
- Test and rehearse incident response, not just infrastructure.
Misconceptions about DDoS are more dangerous than the attacks themselves. By clearing the fog and grounding your defence in reality, you’ll be better positioned to maintain uptime, reduce risk, and respond effectively.
Summary Table: Myths vs. The Reality
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| DDoS are always big bandwidth floods | Many are low-rate, targeted, or application-layer campaigns. |
| Firewalls will stop them | No—firewalls are often overwhelmed or bypassed. |
| ISPs protect us entirely | They can help at scale, but lack internal visibility or speed. |
| Small organisations aren’t targets | Attackers often target smaller businesses for ease and extortion. |
| DDoS-for-hire means sophistication | Many attackers use simple automated tools, not advanced skills. |
| Cloud is instant bulletproof protection | Cloud solutions add value—but can have delayed response or cost issues. |
| CDN = Total security | CDNs help—they aren’t replacement for layered defence, especially at L7. |
| Pen testing covers DDoS risk | Pen tests don’t evaluate capacity or resource exhaustion risk. |
| DDoS attacks are easy to detect | Low-profile or evasive attacks require behavioural logic and enhanced visibility. |
| Smart attacks need advanced tech | Some of the most damaging are subtle and efficient—low-volume yet high-impact. |
About FastNetMon
FastNetMon is a leading solution for network security, offering advanced DDoS detection and mitigation. With real-time analytics and rapid response capabilities, FastNetMon helps organisations protect their infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.For more information, visit https://fastnetmon.com