What is an L3 DDoS attack and how does it differ from other types of DDoS attacks?

An L3 DDoS attack, operating at the Network Layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model, focuses on overwhelming network infrastructure with malicious traffic. Unlike application-layer (L7) attacks targeting specific applications, L3 attacks aim to saturate bandwidth and exhaust network resources like routers and firewalls. Common L3 attacks include UDP floods, ICMP floods (ping floods), and SYN floods. The key difference is the target: L3 attacks target the network itself, while L7 attacks target the application.