What does a denial of service attack typically target?

A denial of service (DoS) attack primarily targets network resources with the intent to overwhelm them and render them unavailable to legitimate users. The essence of a DoS attack is to disrupt the normal functioning of a service, which can include servers, applications, or bandwidth. By flooding the target with excessive requests or exploiting vulnerabilities, the attack can incapacitate these resources, making them unable to process genuine traffic.

The focus on network resources is critical because these are the components that provide services to users and other systems over a network. If the resources are targeted successfully, legitimate users may experience interruptions, increased latency, or are completely unable to access the services they need.

Other options like confidential data, user devices, and firewall configurations may be involved in various types of attacks, but they are not the primary focus of a DoS attack, which is specifically designed to disrupt access to services rather than to steal data or compromise system integrity directly.