Damn Dirty DoS Attacks - Is There Any Hope?

As far as being completely immune from a DoS attack, you're out of luck. This are no full-proof ways to prevent an attack. However, there are ways to make your computer a less attractive prospect for an attacker and they are pretty simple and straightforward.

• Anti-virus software – this examines the data packets as they enter your system and mark them either regular, priority, or dangerous.

• Firewall – this should be configured to restrict the traffic entering and leaving your computer. Most firewalls can only prevent simple DoS attacks, but they are still a good thing to have, and the more modern firewalls are becoming more and more sophisticated.

• Email – be careful where and whom you give your email address to. There are also filters that can be applied to help prevent unwanted traffic.

There are certain things to look out for if you think you are under attack. Most of this has to do with things being out of the ordinary, something other than technical problems or system maintenance. Be aware of slow system performance, such as when you are trying to open a file or a website (or if the website is completely unavailable). If you're experiencing a sudden increase in spam, then you may want to be on the lookout.

Pretty much the only thing you can do if you determine that you are being attacked is contact the appropriate technical professionals (e.g. network administrator or ISP) depending on whether it's your computer at work or home. That's all I have for you up to this point. I know, that sucks almost as much as a DoS attack. Sorry!