Denial of service protection: questions and answers
DDoS basics
What is denial of service protection?
Denial of service protection is a set of layers, not one switch: capacity at your hosting provider or a CDN, a private origin address, rate limits, caching, sensible timeouts and a written runbook. Layers overlap on purpose. No single layer protects web apps from flooding and abuse on its own.
What counts as a DDoS attack in cyber security?
A DDoS attack is an attempt by many sources at once to make a service unavailable by overwhelming it. Three kinds exist. Volumetric traffic fills the link, protocol attacks such as SYN floods exhaust connection tables, and layer 7 floods use normal-looking HTTP requests. A multi source DDoS mitigation strategy needs a defence for each.
What are common layer 7 threats and DoS attacks?
Common layer 7 threats are floods of ordinary-looking HTTP requests that use up the web application, often aimed at one or a few paths with identical patterns and very high rates per client. Each request looks normal. A runaway script on your own side can cause the same overload.
Is a traffic spike always an attack?
No. A legitimate spike usually follows a launch, a mention or a campaign, and it comes from many different networks with varied pages and normal browser behaviour. Logs give hints, not proof, so compare them with your analytics and ask your hosting provider when in doubt.
Using SmartCode Relay
Is smartcodegroup.com the official SmartCode Relay website?
Yes, smartcodegroup.com is the official SmartCode Relay website. This is the original build. Download the installer here, compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published manifest, and run it only when the two match. If something looks wrong, press Send feedback inside the app.
Are the results always right?
No. Summaries, drafts and rules can be wrong, so you review each diff and test the change on a copy before it goes anywhere near the live site. Logs give hints, not proof. You make the final call, and the agent works only from the files you give it.
Does SmartCode Relay watch my traffic or send alerts?
No. SmartCode Relay reads files after the fact, so it is not in your traffic path and has no view of live requests. Alerts and thresholds belong in your own monitoring system, which the agent can only help you document.
Can I use it for a load test?
Yes, but only against your own staging copy, or with your hosting provider's written permission, because providers can treat a load test as an attack. Ask for that permission first. The agent can help you write the test plan and read the results afterwards.
Models, privacy and download
Do my logs leave my PC?
The answer depends on the model you pick. With a cloud model, prompts, including any log text the agent reads, go to that provider; with a local model nothing leaves your PC. Access logs hold visitor IP addresses. Check your logs first.
Which models can I use?
A cloud AI provider through a standard API endpoint, a model running locally on your PC, or the built-in model. The Test button checks an endpoint and shows the response time and the context window. Press Test first.
Why does Windows warn when I run the installer?
The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may warn. Compare its SHA-256 checksum with the published manifest, and only after the checksum matches choose More info and then Run anyway. Never skip the checksum.
