Geopolitics is a significant driving force behind the increasing number of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, with a report by Europe’s cybersecurity agency, ENISA [1] [2], revealing that two-thirds of these attacks are politically motivated [1] [2]. This article examines the findings of the report, which analyzed 310 publicly reported DoS attacks between January 2022 and August 2023 [1] [2].
Description
The report highlights that the war in Ukraine was responsible for half of the analyzed attacks, indicating the strong influence of geopolitical factors. Among the sectors affected, the government administration sector experienced the highest number of attacks, accounting for 46% of the total [1] [2]. In terms of disruption, 57% of the attacks caused complete disruption for the victim organizations, while 21% caused partial disruption [2]. Notably, only 4% of the attacks had no noticeable impact [2], raising concerns about the effectiveness of DDoS mitigation measures.
Furthermore, in October [2], a new zero-day vulnerability was discovered by Google and other entities. Threat actors quickly exploited this vulnerability to launch large-scale DDoS attacks, reaching a peak of 398 million requests per second [2]. This surpassed the previous record of 46 million requests per second [2], underscoring the evolving sophistication of these attacks.
Conclusion
The findings of the report shed light on the significant impact of geopolitics on the prevalence of DoS attacks. With two-thirds of these attacks being politically motivated [1] [2], it is evident that geopolitical tensions are increasingly being played out in cyberspace. The high level of disruption caused by these attacks, particularly in the government administration sector, highlights the urgent need for robust DDoS mitigation measures. The discovery of a new zero-day vulnerability further emphasizes the ever-evolving nature of these threats and the importance of proactive security measures. As geopolitical tensions continue to shape the cyber landscape, organizations must remain vigilant and adapt their defenses to effectively counter these politically motivated attacks.
References
[1] https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/geopolitics-blame-dos-surge-europe/
[2] https://flyytech.com/2023/12/08/geopolitics-to-blame-for-dos-surge-in-europe-says-enisa/
