What is the main goal of a DDoS attack?

The primary goal of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is to disrupt services of a targeted server. This type of attack overwhelms the resources of the target, making it impossible for legitimate users to access services or information. By flooding the target server with an excessive amount of traffic, the attackers effectively incapacitate the system, leading to downtime and lost functionality.

DDoS attacks specifically aim to create service unavailability rather than obtaining sensitive information, gaining unauthorized access, or infecting a network with malware. While other forms of cyber attacks may focus on those aspects, the distinct characteristic of a DDoS attack is its objective to render a service or network resource completely unreachable for its users, causing inconvenience and potential financial loss.