CNET GLOSSARY: Terms for the techie An assault on a computer
network or a server that floods it with so many superfluous
requests that service is either slowed or interrupted. Common
types of DoS attacks include buffer overflow and smurf attacks.
In a buffer overflow attack, the assailant overwhelms the target
system with oversized data packets or with e-mail messages that
have unusually large file names. In a smurf attack, the
assailant sends an IP ping request to a server with instructions
to broadcast the request to a number of hosts within the
server's network. The return address on the request is falsely
identified (spoofed) as the server targeted to receive the DoS
attack. The result is that a flood of ping replies overwhelm the
targeted server. Can't find your term here? Have a question
about the glossary? E-mail us.