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Definition
A distributed denial-of-service attack, or DDoS attack, happens when many devices send large amounts of traffic to a target system. The goal is to overload the website, app, or server so real users cannot access it.

Why it matters
DDoS attacks matter because they can make online services slow, unstable, or unavailable. For businesses, they can interrupt customer access, affect transactions, increase infrastructure costs, and create wider security concerns.

Example use case
An online service suddenly receives a huge spike in traffic from thousands of devices. The server becomes overloaded, and legitimate users cannot log in or complete normal actions.