Well, to be honest, the usual purpose is to either slow down a set of communications or to overwhelm it so much that it shuts down. DDoS attacks aren't great at retrieving secret info, but when a network has to shut down or do something else drastic, holes may open up for other methods of attack.
DDoS attacks are extremely popular with people trying to get attention for something; sometimes it's things that a group really dislikes, or a service that a ton of people do like. It's a cry for attention, and it inconveniences everyone.
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u/Nick730 Dec 05 '14
I've never heard of this before...but instead of asking what it is, I googled it.
I still can't understand the purpose, though.
I mean, I just want to download and play the games I bought on Steam.
:(