denial of service (DOS) attack definition

denial of service (DOS) attack

Cracker or hacker attack on a computer system or website, aimed at disrupting its normal functions. A common method used in DOS attacks is to deluge the system or site with a flood of messages that drastically slow down its response time, or overwhelm its data handling capacity resulting in a system crash. In many countries a DOS attack is a criminal offense even if attempted as a prank. See also active attack and passive attack.

denial of service (DOS) attack appears in the definitions of the following terms: active attack and denial of service (DOS)

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