What type of attack aims to overwhelm a target with traffic, disrupting normal traffic flow to a server or service?

The correct response pertains to Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which are specifically designed to inundate a target—such as a server, service, or network—with an overwhelming volume of traffic. The sheer amount of incoming requests can cause the target to become slow or completely unresponsive to legitimate traffic, thereby disrupting normal operations. DDoS attacks typically use multiple compromised computer systems as sources for the attack, which is why "distributed" is a key part of the term.

The nature of a DDoS attack is to consume the available bandwidth or resources, leading to a denial of service for users who are trying to access the server or application. Understanding the mechanisms behind DDoS attacks is crucial for cybersecurity professionals, as mitigating such threats involves implementing robust network architectures and traffic management solutions.

The other options do not target traffic disruption in the same manner; social engineering focuses on manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information, email phishing seeks to deceive users into providing sensitive information through fraudulent emails, and web exploits leverage vulnerabilities in applications or services to gain unauthorized access or control over a system. Each of these targets a different aspect of cybersecurity and does not primarily aim to overwhelm a system with excessive traffic like a DDoS attack does.