DDoS Attacks on the Rise
Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have been on the rise in recent years, and Microsoft has observed some worrying trends in its latest DDoS report. Among other findings, the report claims that DDoS attacks are becoming shorter in duration but more powerful and are increasingly targeting large organizations in various industries. Here’s what you need to know about the state of DDoS attacks in 2022.
What is a DDoS Attack?
A DDoS attack is an attempt to make an online service or website unavailable by flooding it with internet traffic from multiple sources. Malicious actors often use DDoS attacks to target large organizations such as banks, e-commerce sites, and government agencies. However, small businesses and individuals can also be victims of DDoS attacks.
Microsoft’s Findings
According to Microsoft’s DDoS trends report for 2022, DDoS attacks take the least amount of time they ever have and are stronger than ever. On average, in 2022, these attacks lasted under an hour, with those lasting for 1-2 minutes, making up a quarter of the total number of attacks. Microsoft attributes this trend to two factors: bad actors need fewer resources to carry out these attacks, and security professionals have a difficult time defending against Legacy DDoS controls.
In addition, the report found that the U.S., India, and East Asia were among the most targeted regions for such attacks in 2022. Internet of things (IoT) devices remained the preferred choice for launching these attacks due to their low cost and high availability. Alarmingly, an average of 1,435 DDoS attacks were recorded each day last year. Most (63%) of these attacks used TCP protocols, while UDP was used for 22%.
Analyzing the Impact
Politically motivated DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly common due to their ability to paralyze entire networks and disrupt digital services across multiple sectors – including healthcare facilities, financial institutions, governments, and more. A successful attack can have far-reaching consequences, including data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, and even physical harm if medical systems become compromised. This is especially concerning as in the past year, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, a Russian hacktivist group called KillNet has actively recruited volunteers to conduct DDoS attacks against Western nations.
Closing Thoughts
The findings of Microsoft’s latest DDoS report cause concern among organizations of all sizes. DDoS attacks are becoming more widespread and more potent, with short attack times making them difficult to defend against. Organizations must ensure that their security teams are equipped with the latest tools and techniques to detect malicious activity quickly so that any attack can be addressed swiftly before it causes significant damage. With proper preparedness in place, businesses will be better positioned to fend off any potential threats posed by cybercriminals.
