What type of attacks does AWS Shield primarily protect against?

AWS Shield is specifically designed to provide protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS attacks involve overwhelming a target, such as a web application or an online service, with a massive volume of traffic in an attempt to disrupt its normal functioning. AWS Shield helps to mitigate these types of attacks by automatically detecting and filtering out large-scale traffic spikes that are characteristic of DDoS attacks, ensuring that legitimate user traffic can continue to reach the protected resources.

The service operates at both the network and application layers, with AWS Shield Standard providing always-on protection at no additional cost, while AWS Shield Advanced offers more sophisticated protection, including enhanced DDoS detection, mitigation capabilities, and attack diagnostics. This is particularly important for businesses that rely on online services, as a successful DDoS attack can have severe implications, including loss of revenue, damage to reputation, and potential legal issues.

While the other options represent valid attack vectors, they fall outside the specific protective capabilities that AWS Shield offers. Cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and man-in-the-middle attacks are typically addressed through secure coding practices, application firewalls, and other types of security measures rather than through the capabilities of AWS Shield.