How To stop DDoS Attack On your Router

PureVPN can guard your network against IP address spoofing. Our service uses robust technology that will filter, encrypt, and divert network traffic to anti-DDoS VPN servers to help prevent DDoS attacks on routers. 

How do I Prevent DDoS Attacks on Routers?

Now comes the “million dollars” question on how to prevent DDoS attacks on routers.

Distinguishing illegitimate traffic requests from legitimate ones is admittedly quite difficult. Still, there are a few defensive measures to prevent your network router from becoming compromised and attacked by a risky botnet.  

Consider the following steps to prevent DDoS attacks on a router before it starts. Without the necessary safeguards, you may face havoc and can even be forced with no option other than to change your identity (and IP address!)

1. Use a strong firewall to prevent the detection of your router’s genuine IP address.
2. Use up-to-date antivirus software on all devices you have that connect to the internet to prevent them from being part of a DDoS. 
3. Keep your operating systems (iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, Android) updated.
4. Ensure that your hardware (routers, modem) and software are updated to the latest security standards. This includes flashing your firmware to ensure it’s the most recent version.
5. Don’t use third party servers, only official ones (Playstation Network, Xbox Live, Steam, etc.) to prevent your IP address from being displayed to the public or the server admin.
6. Keep all your voice chat programs updated. Don’t accept any voice chat requests from individuals you do not know.

If these defensive measures fail, you’ll need to reset your IP address (by either unplugging your modem/router,

Using the Windows command prompt, changing the setting in your router’s admin console, updating the Mac system preferences, or even contacting your ISP).

But there’s an easier way! Use PureVPN’s VPN (Virtual Private Network) to protect your identity and route unwanted network traffic through the encrypted network to the VPN server.

What a Menace is DoS Attack?

A Denial of Service attack, otherwise known as a DoS, is a relatively common attack. 

Picture a visual of hundreds of people trying to leave a building. If too many people are trying to escape from a single small doorway, only a few people can exit at any given time. At times, the crowding is so substantial that no one can leave at all.

A DoS works similarly. It is a cyber threat that disallows preventing legitimate users from getting access to applications, network resources, or data links due to an influx of traffic to that single destination. Either the destination becomes completely rendered useless, or only a small percentage of traffic will be able to get through. In the end, a DoS prevents access to any type of service, from your standard informational website, an email provider, a bank account—anything that is dependent upon a network or computer can become affected by a DoS attack.

DoS attacks are intentional and malicious. They occur when a specific target destination is flooded with unwanted traffic at such a rapid speed that eventually, the location cannot handle the load, rendering the server inaccessible to legitimate requests. The result is that businesses lose money and time, and customers grow frustrated and may shift their loyalties to another vendor whose website is not inoperable. 

What is a DDoS Attack?

Like a DoS attack, a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is done with bad intentions. A DDoS attack is when a hacker leverages many compromised systems to concurrently attack a single application, system, or network, making it unable to respond to requests from legitimate users. 

By using a distributed mechanism (the “D” in DDoS), instead of leveraging a single host to take down the desired destination, a number of servers instead have been compromised to attack a single target destination concurrently. These servers may become part of something called a “botnet.” 

What are the Basic Kinds of DoS and DDoS Attacks?

There are a number of types of DoS and DDoS attacks that differ based on the network protocol used, the data packets that are sent, and other criteria. Below is a list of the types of attacks you may have experienced in your lifetime (and we assure you, you have!)

• Volumetric attacks use a technology called ICMP echo requests, which are designed to overwhelm internal networking capacity.
• TCP-State exhaustion attacks are focused on the firewall, thereby restricting the number of connections that can be established.
• Fragmentation attacks send manipulated packets to a network that’s too large for it to process. 
• Application layer attacks focus on resource consumption by creating too many transactions or processes so that the real genuine transactions are not able to be processed.

Why do DoS/DDoS Attacks occur on Routers?

There are so many reasons why a DoS or DDoS attack on a router may occur. From nefarious competitors and ransom demands to hacktivism and amusement of causing users trouble, anything can be a reason for attackers to cause such attacks on the router.

Can a Router be an Executor & Target for DDoS?

Yes, routers can, unfortunately, be both a target for a DDoS attack and can also be used to launch an attack, sometimes even simultaneously. 

Many routers, especially those with outdated firmware, may contain security vulnerabilities that are exploited by attackers that can either stop routers from functioning or that can be used to launch a malicious attack.

From causing malware infections and sending traffic from infected networks due to poor configuration to using hacking tools to penetrate remote networks, hackers can adapt any possible means to manipulate routers for DDoS attacks. As they say, when there’s a will, there’s away.

How does PureVPN Work for DDoS Prevention?

PureVPN’s VPN service is designed to provide users with the best digital experience. It comes wrapped in exceptional quality, speed, and network security. PureVPN has a top-of-the-line defense mechanism to prevent DDoS attacks on the router and make sure that network traffic is safe from the evil eyes of DDoS attackers or any other spying entities.

VPN service from PureVPN includes DDoS attack prevention, which detects automatically and takes action immediately when an attack on your router is underway. 

When you connect to PureVPN’s VPN, your network traffic is directed through an encrypted passageway to one of its anti-DDoS servers, which masks your original IP address. The attackers can’t, therefore, find your router IP and interrupt the network connection. This process secures your identity and prevents your network from being vulnerable to a DDoS attack.

Learn more about DDoS attack protection