Now, these attacks are becoming more dangerous, targeted, and detrimental as they evolve.
As DDoS attacks become more sophisticated, adversaries are able to hone in on the most vulnerable targets, ranging from small- and medium-sized businesses to the world's largest enterprises.
The 2023 Cybersecurity Threat Report suggests that DDoS attacks are still an important part of the cybersecurity threat landscape.
Out of 23.5 billion overall cybersecurity attacks detected last year, the report found a staggering 210 million attempts to use DDoS attacks to affect business operations by shutting down critical application servers and network resources.
2022 saw a continuing evolution of sophisticated DDoS activities, with greater concentration occurring in certain industries and a change in the manner of attacks.
These attacks are harder to detect, especially if organizations try using firewall rate-limiting policies to stop them, rather than carrier-grade services.
DDoS attacks are also incredibly easy and cheap to create.
Tools like botnets or other devices can be bought or rented online to carry out DDoS attacks for low prices.
The cost of a 100 Gbps attack on the dark web is just around $20. And, carrying out a DDoS attack requires little to no technical knowledge, unlike a few years ago when a determined attacker needed to assemble their own botnet.
All businesses, regardless of industry, are targets of DDoS attacks.
Education is one of the most commonly targeted verticals for DDoS attacks, accounting for 46% of attacks in 2022.
In addition to the accessibility of DDoS attacks, the volume of technology used in schools and free WiFi make them easy targets.
Another highly targeted vertical is the IT and Technical Services sector, which accounted for 25% of attacks in 2022.
During 2023, we've seen a large increase of DDoS attacks against finance and healthcare, which in 2022 accounted for 14% and 13% of attacks, respectively.
DDoS attacks are created using botnets, which are large networks of compromised computers repurposed to launch cyberattacks.
What this means for DDoS attacks is an expansion in the size of botnets used to create them.
Mitigating DDoS attacks requires a multifaceted approach.
The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency recommends working with your ISP to defend against DDoS attacks.
By learning about the makeup and characteristics of each DDoS attack, businesses can proactively adapt their defenses, effectively mitigate future threats, and configure notification alerts.
Businesses of all sizes and industries are now at risk for DDoS attacks, especially as they continuously evolve.
This Cyber News was published on www.cyberdefensemagazine.com. Publication date: Mon, 01 Jan 2024 06:13:03 +0000