What is the purpose of a denial of service attack?

The purpose of a denial of service (DoS) attack is to interrupt authorized access to a network. In such an attack, the goal is to make a network resource unavailable to its intended users by overwhelming the server or network with excessive traffic or exploiting vulnerabilities in the system. This prevents legitimate users from accessing services, leading to disruptions in operations and potentially causing financial loss or damage to the reputation of a business or organization.

Denial of service attacks highlight significant security vulnerabilities and often serve as a reminder of the need for effective network security measures to safeguard against unauthorized access and maintain the availability of critical systems.