Types of Attacks and Their Network Impact
Types of attacks and their impact on the network
What you will learn
- Distinguish a denial-of-service (DoS) attack from a distributed one (DDoS).
- Explain the on-path (MITM) attack mechanism.
- Recall ARP poisoning as a technical example of an on-path attack.
- Explain why social engineering remains effective despite technical defenses.
Most network attacks target one of the three CIA goals: DoS/DDoS targets availability by flooding a service with fake traffic, while on-path attacks target confidentiality and integrity by intercepting traffic between two parties who believe they're talking directly to each other.
DoS vs. DDoS
| DoS | DDoS | |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic source | A single device or source | Thousands of distributed sources together (often a botnet) |
| Ease of blocking | Easier — blocking one address may suffice | Much harder — there's no single source to block |
Core concepts
| On-path (MITM) | An attacker positions themselves between two communicating parties and intercepts traffic without their knowledge. |
|---|---|
| ARP Poisoning | Sending forged ARP replies to bind the attacker's MAC address to another device's IP, intercepting its traffic. |
| Social Engineering | Directly deceiving a person into revealing information or granting access, bypassing all technical defenses. |
The "stronger firewall" trap
No single firewall stops a DDoS attack distributed across thousands of sources — real defense needs specialized traffic-scrubbing services and geographically distributed capacity, not just one blocking rule.
Quick check
Answer in your head first, then reveal.
Why is a DDoS attack harder to block than a DoS attack?Reveal the answer
Because traffic comes from thousands of distributed sources, not one blockable source.
What is the goal of ARP poisoning?Reveal the answer
Intercepting another device's traffic by falsely binding the attacker's MAC to that device's IP.
Why does social engineering remain effective despite strong technical defenses?Reveal the answer
Because it targets the human directly, bypassing every technical layer of protection.
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Sources
Used to verify the facts. The writing is original to Passuit.