What Is the Ping of Death (PoD)? Definition, Damage & Defense

During a ping of death attack, one computer sends a large ping data packet. The huge data load crashes the recipient's computer. In some cases, that crash allows hackers to take over the computer to enact malicious code.

A "ping" is a command within the Internet Protocol network. Computers use it to determine if a host is online and available. 

We once thought of a ping of death as a legacy technique. As long as we were using updated software, we told ourselves, we'd be safe. But hackers have tweaked and resurrected the method, and new versions emerged in late 2020. 

What is a ping of death attack?

Is another computer online? Can you communicate with it? A ping, sent via the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), helps you answer that question.

You send a ping, the source machine responds, and you're connected. A ping of death hijacks this process. 

Ping packet sizes were capped at 65,535 bytes per the Internet Protocol released in the 1980s. As designers created their consumer-f