What characterizes denial of service traffic signatures?

The characteristic of denial of service (DoS) traffic signatures is that they contain specific patterns or signatures that indicate an attempt to overwhelm a target with excessive requests or malicious traffic. These signatures can include unusual volume spikes, specific types of data packets, or recognizable patterns that are associated with DoS attacks.

In the context of network defense, identifying these signatures is crucial for implementing security measures that can detect and mitigate potential DoS attempts, thereby protecting the network from disruption. The other options describe normal operational traffic or user behavior, which would not be indicative of a denial of service attack. Identifying legitimate traffic patterns is essential for distinguishing harmful activity from standard operations, making the understanding of such signatures vital for maintaining network integrity.