Describe the potential impact of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack?

The correct answer highlights the significant consequences of a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on network services and operations. DDoS attacks overwhelm a target with a flood of traffic from multiple sources, which can incapacitate network services and disrupt normal operations. This overwhelming traffic can exhaust resources, causing servers to crash, websites to become unreachable, and critical applications to fail.

As a result of such disruptions, businesses may experience significant downtime, leading to loss of revenue, decreased customer satisfaction, and potential long-term damage to their reputation. The operational impact can extend beyond immediate downtime, as organizations might also face costs related to mitigation efforts and recovery, as well as potential regulatory penalties if they fail to uphold service level agreements.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the nature of DDoS attacks. While they might suggest positive impacts or neutrality, the reality is that DDoS attacks primarily cause harm and disruption.