There is a website hosted on a virtual server, experiencing a DDoS attack without any financial means for protection. Additionally, there is a home Internet connection with a capacity of 132 mbit/s that can potentially block the attack.

In my opinion, it seems impractical to expose the home IP address to the public and proxy the filtered traffic to the website. It will likely result in disregarding any issues faced by the home Internet provider.

Objectives:

1) Ensure the safety of the website

2) Experiment with filtering techniques on a smaller scale

Considering the lack of funds for protection, it is actually a sensible idea rather than being idiotic. Taking action is preferable to risking the loss of the audience. It is definitely worth attempting.

Are you facing any restrictions from your internet service provider regarding the number of packets per second?

It is important to note that while many providers emphasize the download speed, in your situation, the upload speed becomes equally significant. If your provider maintains parity between upload and download speeds, then it is certainly worth giving it a shot.

Considering the idea in question, it appears to be remarkably foolish. It is essential to acknowledge that the provider configures its equipment according to a specific usage model, which likely has been explicitly stated in the service terms and conditions.

If one violates these guidelines and the provider becomes aware of the breach, the consequence could be as severe as a complete Internet shutdown.

In my contract, it explicitly states that running any public services on my computer is strictly prohibited.

Is there any mention of this issue by the hosting provider?
Additionally, it would be helpful to know the amount of legitimate traffic your site generates.
Furthermore, understanding the scale of the flood being directed towards your site is crucial.

Taking proactive measures to safeguard your website becomes easier when the hosting provider provides guidance or support in such situations.

Assessing the volume of legitimate traffic and evaluating the intensity of the flood can aid in devising effective countermeasures against potential attacks.

Typically, the DDoS mitigation system follows a four-stage process.

Stage 1: Detection.
Identifying and distinguishing a DDoS attack from normal traffic is essential to initiate effective countermeasures. The ability to quickly detect an attack without affecting legitimate site visitors greatly determines the success of any defense method.

Stage 2: Redirection/Routing.
Intelligent routing logic redirects suspicious data away from the server, ensuring the majority of the attack traffic is handled separately to prevent service disruptions.

Stage 3: Filtering.
Filtering incoming data enables the removal of packets or connections associated with bot-generated traffic, effectively halting DDoS attacks. Algorithms and filtering patterns aid in distinguishing between malicious and legitimate traffic.

Stage 4: Analysis.
Analyzing security logs gathered during an attack provides insights into the attack's nature, environment, and tactics employed by the attackers. This analysis helps enhance system reliability and reduces vulnerability against future DDoS attacks.

Hosting providers serve as the primary line of defense against DDoS attacks, although their implementation standards may vary.

In general, two main levels of protection can be distinguished:

1) Basic DDoS Protection:
The provider analyzes incoming client traffic based on various indicators to detect potential DDoS attacks. Traffic is filtered using third-party DDoS protection services, blocking suspicious requests while allowing access to legitimate users.

2) Customized DDoS Protection:
Tailored to specific needs, this level allows clients to configure filtering rules for more flexibility and control. It offers a comprehensive solution against various scales of DDoS attacks, making it suitable for larger projects or businesses facing higher risks.

It is important to note that while basic protection is often provided for free by major hosting providers, it may have limitations and lack the adaptability required to combat more sophisticated attacks.

Considering the objectives of ensuring the safety of the website and experimenting with filtering techniques on a smaller scale, here are a couple of potential approaches you could consider:

1) Implementing a Cloud-based DDoS protection service: This can be a cost-effective solution that provides professional-grade protection against DDoS attacks. Cloud-based services offer scalable and distributed network infrastructures specifically designed to mitigate large-scale attacks. By routing your website's traffic through the protection service, it can filter out malicious traffic and allow only legitimate visitors to access the site.

2) Implementing a reverse proxy with rate-limiting and blocking capabilities: This approach involves setting up a reverse proxy server that acts as an intermediary between the client and your website. It can be configured to perform rate-limiting, which limits the number of requests per second from each IP address. Additionally, it can implement blocking rules to deny access to suspicious or malicious IP addresses based on predefined criteria.

3) Utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN): A CDN can act as an intermediary between your website and its visitors, serving cached content from multiple distributed servers. This can help offload the traffic and distribute it across different servers, reducing the impact of a DDoS attack on your website's infrastructure.

4) Implement rate limiting at the network level: Depending on your network equipment capabilities, you may be able to configure rate-limiting rules to restrict the number of connections or packets per second from specific IP addresses. This can help mitigate the impact of a DDoS attack by slowing down the malicious traffic.

5) Explore open-source DDoS protection tools: There are several open-source tools available that offer DDoS protection capabilities. Examples include Fail2Ban, ModSecurity, and Snort. These tools use various techniques to detect and block suspicious traffic patterns, helping protect your website from DDoS attacks.

6) Implement rate limiting and request validation directly on your web server: Configure your web server (such as Apache or Nginx) to limit the number of requests per second from each IP address. You can also implement request validation techniques, such as CAPTCHA challenges, to differentiate between legitimate users and malicious bots.

7) Use IP blacklisting or whitelisting: Create a list of known malicious IP addresses and block them from accessing your website. Conversely, you can create a whitelist of trusted IP addresses that are allowed to access your site. However, keep in mind that attackers can easily switch IP addresses, so this approach may not be fully effective against sophisticated DDoS attacks.

Optimize your website's performance and scalability: By optimizing your website's code, database, and server configurations, you can handle a larger volume of legitimate traffic before reaching the point of overload during a DDoS attack. Techniques like caching, load balancing, and server scaling can help distribute the traffic more efficiently and improve overall resilience.

9) Collaborate with your Internet Service Provider (ISP): Reach out to your ISP and inform them about the ongoing DDoS attacks. They may have measures in place to help mitigate the impact or provide assistance during such situations.

10) Use a traffic filtering platform: Look into free or open-source traffic filtering platforms that can help mitigate the impact of a DDoS attack. These platforms analyze network traffic and filter out malicious requests, allowing only legitimate traffic to reach your website.

11) Implement rate limiting at the application level: Within your website's code, you can implement rate limiting techniques to restrict the number of requests per second from each user or IP address. This can help reduce the impact of an attack by slowing down the rate of incoming requests.

12) Consider implementing a caching layer: By using a caching mechanism, you can serve static content to users, reducing the load on your server during a DDoS attack. Caching can be done through various techniques like server-side caching, CDN caching, or proxy caching.

13) Monitor and analyze traffic patterns: Regularly monitor your website's traffic to understand normal patterns and detect any anomalies. This can help you identify potential DDoS attacks early on and respond accordingly.

14) Utilize threat intelligence services: Explore free or low-cost threat intelligence services that provide real-time information on emerging threats, including DDoS attacks. These services can help you stay informed and take necessary precautions.

15) Leverage community support: Engage with online communities and forums that discuss DDoS protection measures. Fellow website owners or security enthusiasts may have valuable insights, tips, or recommendations for mitigating DDoS attacks on a budget.

16) Enable content delivery network (CDN) caching: If your website is not already using a CDN, consider implementing one that offers basic caching capabilities. This can help mitigate the impact of a DDoS attack by serving cached static content directly from the CDN edges, reducing the load on your origin server.

17) Implement rate limiting or connection limits at the firewall level: Configure your network firewall to limit the number of connections per second or set thresholds for incoming traffic from specific IP addresses. This can help mitigate the impact of a DDoS attack by slowing down or blocking excessive traffic.

18) Utilize an application layer firewall: Implement an application layer firewall (such as ModSecurity) to filter and block malicious traffic based on predefined rulesets. These firewalls are designed to detect and block common DDoS attack patterns, providing an additional layer of protection for your website.

19) Monitor and analyze logs: Regularly review and analyze your web server logs to identify unusual or suspicious patterns of traffic. This can help you identify potential DDoS attacks and take appropriate mitigation measures.

20) Educate users about DDoS attacks: Inform your website's users about the possibility of experiencing intermittent outages during a DDoS attack and encourage them to be patient. By setting realistic expectations, you can reduce frustration and maintain user trust during an attack.