DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service. It happens when someone sends an enormous amount of fake traffic to a specific internet connection or device, overloading it so that normal traffic — like streaming, gaming, or web browsing — can’t get through.
Think of it like someone sending thousands of fake visitors to your front door at once. The door gets jammed, and nobody — including you — can move in or out.
The motives behind DDoS attacks can vary widely. Sometimes, they’re part of coordinated attacks on large companies, gaming platforms, or streaming services, often launched by hacker groups trying to make a statement or cause disruption.
Other times, it’s much smaller in scale — for example, a frustrated online gamer might pay for a “DDoS-for-hire” service to flood another player’s connection, kicking them offline out of spite. These types of attacks are usually short-lived but can still cause major headaches for the person being targeted and for everyone else sharing the same part of the network.
No matter the reason, DDoS attacks are malicious, illegal, and often unpredictable. They can happen to anyone — even regular residential customers — simply because their public IP address becomes visible during online activity.
While DDoS attacks are extremely uncommon, when they do happen, they can cause temporary slowdowns not only for the person being targeted but also for others on the same section of our network. When one connection is flooded with malicious traffic, the equipment that serves nearby customers has to handle that surge too, which can affect speeds and stability across that area.
At Netspectrum, we monitor and protect our network to minimize the impact of these rare events. In most cases, our systems automatically detect and filter attack traffic quickly. However, if a specific connection is repeatedly targeted, we may need to take additional steps — such as isolating that connection — to protect the stability of the network for everyone else.
These incidents are rare and unpredictable, but when they happen, our priority is always the same: keeping the network stable and protecting the experience of all our customers.
If you notice unusual slowdowns or repeated disconnections, please reach out to our support team. We’ll review your connection and make sure everything is running smoothly.
📞 1-800-461-6379 | ✉️ support@netspectrum.ca
