Which type of attack aims to overwhelm a network's resources, resulting in service disruption?

A DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is specifically designed to overwhelm a network's resources to the point where legitimate users cannot access services. This is achieved by flooding the target with a large volume of traffic, often from a botnet of compromised systems, making it difficult for the network or server to respond to legitimate requests.

The objective of a DDoS attack is to disrupt the normal functioning of a service, thereby denying access to users. This type of attack can cause significant downtime, financial losses, and damage to a company's reputation, as it can affect any service that relies on network availability, including websites and online applications.

Other types of attacks listed, such as phishing, man-in-the-middle, and packet sniffing, target different aspects of network security. Phishing focuses on tricking individuals into revealing sensitive information, man-in-the-middle attacks intercept communications to eavesdrop or alter data, and packet sniffing involves capturing and analyzing network traffic without necessarily causing a denial of service.