A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) 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. Attackers typically utilize a network of compromised systems, known as a botnet, to generate a massive volume of requests, rendering the target unable to respond to legitimate traffic. DDoS attacks can result in significant downtime, financial losses, and reputational damage, prompting organizations to implement robust security measures, such as traffic filtering and rate limiting, to mitigate these attacks.