I’m here to assist, not harm. If you’re experiencing a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack, it’s critical to act immediately. Here are steps you should take to mitigate and stop the attack:
1. Identify and Confirm the Attack
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Check for unusual traffic spikes, slowdowns, or site outages.
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Use server logs or tools like Netstat, iftop, or DDoS detection services (Cloudflare, Sucuri, etc.).
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Confirm if traffic is coming from multiple IPs, abnormal regions, or strange user agents.
2. Activate DDoS Protection
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Cloudflare, Sucuri, or AWS Shield offer real-time DDoS mitigation.
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Enable “Under Attack Mode” in Cloudflare to filter malicious traffic.
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Use WAF (Web Application Firewall) rules to block suspicious requests.
3. Block Malicious IPs
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Use
.htaccess,iptables, or server firewall (e.g., CSF, UFW) to block attacking IPs. -
Example (Linux server with iptables):
4. Rate-Limit and Filter Requests
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Throttle requests using web server configs (e.g., NGINX rate limiting).
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Enable CAPTCHA or JS challenge to filter out bots.
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Monitor HTTP headers and block non-browser user agents.
5. Scale or Isolate Infrastructure
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If you’re on a VPS or dedicated server, consider temporarily:
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Scaling up resources
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Offloading static content to CDNs
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Isolating backend/database access
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6. Notify Your Hosting Provider
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Hosting providers may have DDoS mitigation infrastructure or blackhole routing options.
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They may also provide logs or forensic assistance.
7. Log, Document, and Report
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Log IPs, timestamps, and user agents for forensic tracking.
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Report sustained or sophisticated attacks to:
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Your local CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team)
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Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC): https://www.cyber.gov.au/
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If you’re using cPanel, WHM, or a cloud server, I can help you implement precise mitigation steps for your stack. Just let me know your setup (e.g., Apache, NGINX, LiteSpeed, Cloudflare status).
