NETSCOUT SYSTEMS [1] [2] [3] [5] [7] [8] [10], INC. has released its 1H2023 DDoS Threat Intelligence Report [2] [3] [5] [7] [8] [9] [10], which highlights a significant increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks compared to the same period in 2022.
Description
The report reveals a 31% rise in DDoS attacks, with cybercriminals launching nearly 7.9 million attacks during this time [7]. This increase can be attributed to global events such as the Russia-Ukraine war and NATO bids [2] [4] [6] [10]. Pro-Russian hacktivists targeted several countries, including Finland, Turkey [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [10], Hungary [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [10], Sweden [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [10], and Russia [5], in response to their bids to join NATO [6]. Notably, Sweden experienced a 500 Gbps DDoS attack during its NATO bid. Ideologically motivated DDoS attacks have also targeted the United States, Ukraine [5] [6], Finland [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [10], Sweden [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [10], Russia [2] [5] [6] [8] [10], and other countries [2] [4] [6] [8] [10].
Furthermore, there is a notable trend of increased DDoS attacks against wireless telecommunications providers [2] [4] [5] [6] [8] [9] [10], particularly in the APAC region [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [10], as more users transition to 5G fixed wireless access [5]. In the APAC region [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [10], there was a staggering 294% increase in DDoS attacks targeting wireless telecommunications providers [4] [5] [6] [8]. NETSCOUT’s insights into the threat landscape come from its ATLAS sensor network [6], which analyzes internet peering traffic [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [8] [9] [10]. The network has observed a substantial increase in HTTP/S application layer attacks and DNS reflection/amplification volumes. Adversaries are adapting their tactics by utilizing bespoke infrastructure like bulletproof hosts and proxy networks [7], and employing new attack methods. The report also highlights the prevalence of DNS water-torture and carpet-bombing attacks, which have seen a 353% and 55% increase respectively, causing harm across the global internet [6]. These attacks commonly target industries such as wired and wireless telecom [6], data processing hosting [6], electronic shopping [6], mail-order companies [6], and insurance agencies [6].
Moreover, the report emphasizes that higher education and government sectors are disproportionately targeted by DDoS attacks [8]. Adversaries leverage abusable infrastructure and DDoS botnets to carry out these attacks [2] [10]. It is worth noting that a small number of persistent nodes are responsible for a significant number of DDoS attacks [9], aligning with the report’s conclusion that attackers frequently reuse abusable infrastructures.
Conclusion
The increase in DDoS attacks poses significant challenges for organizations, particularly in the higher education and government sectors [8]. Mitigating these attacks requires a comprehensive understanding of the evolving tactics employed by cybercriminals, such as the use of bespoke infrastructure and new attack methods. Organizations should prioritize investing in robust cybersecurity measures to protect against DDoS attacks. Additionally, collaboration between industry stakeholders and government entities is crucial to effectively combat this growing threat. Looking ahead, it is essential for organizations to remain vigilant and adapt their security strategies to address the changing landscape of DDoS attacks. For more information [7], visit NETSCOUT’s interactive website [7].
References
[1] https://article.wn.com/view/2023/09/26/NETSCOUTIdentifiedNearly79MillionDDoSAttacksin1H2023/
[2] https://flyytech.com/2023/09/27/netscout-identified-nearly-7-9m-ddos-attacks-in-the-first-half-of-2023/
[3] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230926366684/de
[4] https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2023-09-27:newsml_Zaw81LqTT:0-pressr-netscout-identified-nearly-7-9mln-ddos-attacks-in-1h2023/
[5] https://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/netscout-identified-nearly-7-9m-ddos-attacks-in-the-first-half-of-2023
[6] https://securitymea.com/2023/09/27/netscout-reveals-7-9-million-ddos-attacks-in-first-half-of-2023/
[7] https://techxmedia.com/netscout-unveils-alarming-surge-in-ddos-attacks-during-h1-2023/
[8] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230926255759/en/NETSCOUT-Identified-Nearly-7.9-Million-DDoS-Attacks-in-1H2023-According-to-Its-Latest-DDoS-Threat-Intelligence-Report
[9] https://www.stocktitan.net/news/NTCT/netscout-identified-nearly-7-9-million-d-do-s-attacks-in-1h2023-gn3qu38xm7cd.html
[10] https://markets.financialcontent.com/stocks/article/bizwire-2023-9-26-netscout-identified-nearly-79-million-ddos-attacks-in-1h2023-according-to-its-latest-ddos-threat-intelligence-report
