News
6 Ways to Protect Your Networks Against DDoS Attacks
A DDoS attack can happen to anyone.
In the past, it has hit Twitter, Telegram, GitHub, and the BBC. Whole governments, like those of Ecuador and Estonia, have had their websites knocked out by it.
This is not a rare threat. Every year, numerous organizations suffer from targeted DDoS attacks, launched at them by malicious agents from unknown locations. It causes their websites and networks to shut down and makes them lose millions of otherwise productive hours.
That’s a lot of revenues foregone. In the United States alone, businesses lose $10 billion annually because of these incidents. And with these attacks growing in other parts of the globe, there’s reason to be wary of the threat that they pose.
Your organization could be at risk, regardless of where you are.
But what are DDoS attacks? How do they work?
What is a DDoS Attack?
A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a type of DoS attack.
In a DoS attack, a malicious agent attempts to overwhelm their victim’s networks with fake traffic. For instance, they could send a lot of false requests to the victim website. The aim here is to stuff the network so much that people with real requests cannot get through to the website.
A regular DoS is launched from a single user device. But in a DDoS, the human agent gains access to several devices (PCs or smartphones) by infecting them with malware, and use those devices (collectively called a ‘botnet’) to flood the victim’s network with fake requests.
When a network comes under attack in this way, its servers will either fail to perform optimally or crash.
What are the Types of DDoS Attacks?
There are two general groups of attacks in this category:
- Network Layer Attacks: this aims to clog up the pathways connecting your network. They make it difficult for genuine traffic (from customers or non-malicious visitors) to access the affected organization.
The scale of these attacks is measured in Gigabytes per second (Gbps). Assaults of several hundred Gbps have been reported, but anything above 20Gbps could knock out your network.
- Application Layer Attacks: In this case, the attacker sends requests that require considerable resources to handle. They cause the victim’s disk spaces and CPU to fill up with false logs.
What Motivates DDoS Attacks?
Here are the most common reasons why attackers launch DDoS assaults.
- Extortion: They may ask you for a ransom in exchange for ceasing their attacks.
- Cyber-Activism: Also known as ‘hacktivism’. Certain groups strike at organizations that they believe aren’t aligned with their cause (e.g. if they think the organization has a bad social or environmental record).
- Competition: A competitor may be responsible for a DDoS attack launched at your business.
- Lone Attackers: Some people may do this for other reasons, e.g. gaining the respect of a community of illegal hackers.
How Do You Protect Against DDoS Attacks?
You wouldn’t want to waste days recovering from a DDoS strike, or lose substantial amounts of money in that period. Here are some steps you can take to prevent this from happening:
- Design a Response Plan for DDoS Attacks
Document a response strategy for a DDoS attack. This should include ways to ensure business continuity even when a DDoS attack succeeds. Assign roles (for instance, a rapid response team) and establish communication systems that can be activated if this happens.
- Guard Against Other Threats to Your Networks
Many cyber attackers are now using DDoS as a diversionary tactic. They could keep IT teams engaged with a DDoS strike, while they launch malware at your systems. This calls for vigilance on your part. Don’t be so preoccupied with fending off a single threat that you forget to guard other posts.
- Track Your Traffic
Use monitoring tools to track traffic. Monitor for possible spikes in incoming network traffic, and keep an eye on suspicious IP addresses when you spot them. Note that sudden, sharp, and unexplained rises in traffic could be a sign that an attacker is ‘testing’ your defenses. If the threat isn’t checked at this early stage they may follow up with a major DDoS attack.
This measure isn’t enough to keep malicious agents away. But it does let you prepare for a possible strike against your network infrastructure.
- Set Up Network Security
You should have a combination of network security tools in place to protect against these strikes. These include firewalls, content filtering, anti-spam, and load balancing. Taken together, these should give you a moderate buffer against malicious traffic.
- Update Your Systems
Your old systems could have vulnerabilities in them that DDoS attackers could exploit. By updating your system, you gain access to the newest defenses that your IT service providers have to offer and stay a step ahead of the vandals.
- Work with an IT Security Solutions Provider
Unless you have a big, five-star in-house IT team, even your best efforts may fail to ward off a DDoS attack. That’s why you need to work with an IT security services company that takes on this task and delivers at the highest level.
If you’re in Nigeria, you can trust Layer3 to secure your networks against security threats. It provides this service to clients in several industries, including some of the country’s top organizations.
Conclusion
Denial-of-service attacks are becoming more frequent. It’s one unsavory consequence of an interconnected world—ill-intentioned actors can target victims from wherever they are in the world. Unless you have the right defenses and mitigating strategies, you may suffer major losses from these assaults.
Thankfully, there’s help you can use. At Layer3, our team of experienced cybersecurity professionals can help you guard against these threats. Whether it’s testing and vulnerability assessment, log management, incidence response, or a fully managed security service, you’ll get the protection that suits your needs.
Would you like to get a robust defense against DDoS and other cyberattacks? Get in touch with us today via the contact channels here.
Obafemi Banigbe, chief executive officer of T2, has stressed that Nigeria’s long-term economic transformation depends on continuous upskilling, digital learning, and workforce adaptability.
Speaking as Special Guest at the 32nd Annual Trainers’ Conference (ATC 2025) of the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), held recently at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, Banigbe warned that without deliberate investment in human capital and technology-driven innovation, the nation risks lagging behind in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Drawing from personal reflections, practical insights, and a forward-looking vision, Banigbe urged Nigerians to reimagine approaches to learning, work, and growth in order to build a prosperous, inclusive, and innovation-led society.
He emphasized that the traditional model of “learning once and working forever” is obsolete.
“With Nigeria projected to become the world’s third most populous nation by 2050, and 70 percent of its citizens under 30, the need for continuous upskilling, digital learning, and adaptability is not optional, it is existential,” he stated.
Banigbe underscored the importance of democratizing access to digital tools, ensuring that every Nigerian child has the same opportunities as peers in developed economies.
He called for the creation of Afrocentric educational content, including culturally relevant cartoons, to help children learn science, mathematics, and history through familiar cultural references rather than foreign identities that disconnect them from their environment.
He also urged a national shift away from a culture that prizes certificates and training hours to one that rewards competence, innovation, and problem-solving.
He envisioned a civil service and workforce driven by solutions rather than processes, stressing that while artificial intelligence may analyze and automate, it cannot dream, uphold ethics, or create new nations, a reminder of the enduring human advantage.
Banigbe further encouraged adoption of cost-effective training models such as online platforms, virtual cohorts, and open-source learning, while acknowledging the continued value of global exposure where local resources fall short.
During an interactive question and answer session, he addressed concerns around affordability, accessibility, and the role of self-driven digital education in shaping Nigeria’s future-ready workforce.
He assured participants that T2 itself is on a path of transformation, committed to delivering world-class services as a proudly Nigerian brand.
In recognition of his contribution to national dialogue and thought leadership, the President of NITAD, James Bulus, presented Banigbe with an Award of Excellence.
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) have agreed to a new strategic partnership aimed at driving innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness.
Led by its National President and Chairman of the Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN), Engr. Jani Ibrahim, a high-level NACCIMA delegation visited the TETFund headquarters in Abuja today.
The team was received by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny S.T. Echono, during what both parties described as a milestone engagement.
Discussions during the meeting focused on collaborative initiatives including entrepreneurship development, support for the green economy, commercialization of academic research, industry–academia synergy, and skills development to better equip graduates for the evolving demands of the labour market.
A key outcome of the meeting was the mutual agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and establish a NACCIMA–TETFund Joint Technical Committee that will oversee the implementation of agreed initiatives.
Both sides also expressed commitment to developing additional partnership frameworks that will bolster Nigeria’s competitiveness and economic resilience.
Also present at the engagement, Prof. Umar Bindir lauded the collaboration, highlighting the need for structured, long-term partnerships between academia and the private sector to generate practical solutions to Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
Arc. Echono, in his remarks, praised NACCIMA’s leadership in promoting enterprise and innovation, and reaffirmed TETFund’s readiness to work closely with the Organized Private Sector to foster research, innovation, and economic transformation.
This collaboration positions NACCIMA as a key driver of national development, helping to bridge the gap between education, enterprise, and policymaking, while empowering young Nigerians and strengthening the foundation of the country’s knowledge economy.
PalmPay, a digital banking platform, in partnership with Nigeria’s telecom giant, Glo, is celebrating winners in the ongoing PalmPay & Glo Recharge. The exciting campaign, which kicked off on June 19, 2025, will run until August 23, 2025, rewarding loyal customers with fantastic prizes and exclusive bonuses.
Since the promo commenced, users have won prizes ranging from Oraimo Earbuds to Infinix Hot 40i.
The ongoing weekly campaign has recorded 20 winners, which include:
- Michael Emmanuel from Lagos emerged as the winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Perpetual Amos, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Semiu Adekunle Abegunde, winner of an Infinix Hot 40i
- Josiah Oluwasegun Adewale, winner of an Oraimo Earbuds
Michael Emmanuel from Lagos recounted his experience as the lucky winner of the Infinix Hot 401 as he couldn’t hide his excitement. He noted, “I am so excited! I didn’t even expect it. I received a call while I was sleeping, informing me that I’d won, and I went live immediately to confirm it was real. I’ve been using PalmPay for about two years now, and winning this is such a great feeling. I’ll keep using PalmPay, and I encourage everyone to recharge their Glo line on the app; you could win too.”
The campaign, which is in its last week, has winners revealed every Friday during a live raffle draw streamed across PalmPay’s social media channels. The campaign gives customers the chance to get amazing prizes, including an iPhone 15 Pro, an Infinix Hot 40, and many other exciting rewards. Users also enjoy up to 6% cashback when purchasing Glo airtime or data via the PalmPay app.
New Glo data subscribers who have not signed up for a plan in the past 90 days will also receive a 100% bonus on their recharge during the promo period.
How to participate:
- Download the PalmPay app.
- Link your Glo number in the app.
- Purchase airtime or data via PalmPay; every transaction increases your chances of winning.
- Join the live draw
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