SYN flood attempts are a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack. They are designed to exploit the TCP handshake process by sending a large number of SYN packets to a target server, which can overwhelm the server's resources and prevent legitimate users from establishing a connection. The goal of a SYN flood is not to gain unauthorized access or gather information, but rather to disrupt the normal operation of a service, making it a Denial of Service attack.
References: The categorization of SYN flood attempts as a Denial of Service attack is consistent with the information provided in various cybersecurity resources, including those related to the Certified Network Defender (CND) course, which outlines the different types of network attacks and their characteristics123.