A Surge in DDoS Attacks: Threats Multiply as Attack Volumes Reach Alarming New Heights

The cybersecurity landscape is witnessing an alarming trend in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, with attack volumes surging by over 100% annually. In the past three years alone, organizations across industries have experienced an unprecedented increase in attack intensity and frequency. As the threat landscape evolves, it is crucial for organizations to understand the growing magnitude of these attacks and fortify their defenses to safeguard their digital assets and reputation.

The Surge in Attack Volume

DDoS attacks have always been a persistent threat, but the escalation in attack volume during Q3-Q4 of 2023 has taken the cybersecurity industry by storm. Attack volumes reached a staggering 1.6 Tbps (Terabits per second) during this period, a significant spike from previous records. This unprecedented surge means that the cybersecurity industry is now measuring DDoS attacks in Terabits, highlighting the need for organizations to prepare for a new level of threat.

Attack Duration and Average Length

DDoS attacks come in varying lengths, and Gcore, a leading cybersecurity firm, has observed attack durations ranging from three minutes to an astonishing nine hours. On average, these assaults persist for approximately one hour, rendering targeted systems incapacitated and severely disrupting business operations. The prolonged durations underscore the resilience and persistence of attackers and the necessity for organizations to deploy robust defenses.

Dominance of UDP Floods

Among the different types of DDoS attacks, UDP floods continue to dominate, accounting for 62% of all incidents. These floods overwhelm the target’s network by barraging it with User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets, causing service disruption or complete unavailability. This prevalence highlights the need for organizations to prioritize UDP flood protection measures while fortifying their cybersecurity infrastructure.

Geographical Distribution of Attack Origins

Gcore’s analysis reveals a diverse range of attack origins in the latter half of 2023, emphasizing the global nature of the DDoS threat. The United States leads the pack, accounting for 24% of all recorded attacks. Following closely behind are Indonesia (17%), the Netherlands (12%), Thailand (10%), Colombia (8%), Russia (8%), Ukraine (5%), Mexico (3%), Germany (2%), and Brazil (2%). This global distribution necessitates a global approach in addressing the DDoS menace.

Most Targeted Industries

DDoS attacks inflict significant damage across various sectors, with the gaming industry bearing the brunt. In the second half of 2023, the gaming industry endured a staggering 46% of all DDoS attacks, causing serious disruptions to online gaming platforms and services. The financial sector, including banks and gambling services, came in second, experiencing 22% of the attacks. These findings underscore the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and investments to safeguard sensitive financial data and ensure uninterrupted financial services.

Other Targeted Industries

While the gaming and financial sectors were the most affected, DDoS attacks also targeted additional industries in H2 of 2023. Telecommunications, which accounted for 18% of attacks, faced severe challenges as disruptions in network connectivity impacted millions of users. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) providers, vital for cloud-based operations, experienced 7% of the attacks, while computer software companies endured 3% of the assaults. This broad spectrum of targeted industries highlights the need for comprehensive and adaptive security strategies across all sectors.

Alarming Increase in Attack Power

The escalation of the attack power to 1.6 Tbps is particularly daunting as it demonstrates the growing capability and sophistication of malicious actors. This remarkable increase poses a grave threat to organizations, pushing them to reassess their existing cybersecurity measures and adopt advanced defense mechanisms. Organizations must invest in technologies such as DDoS mitigation services, intelligent traffic analysis, and behavior-based threat detection to effectively combat this elevated level of attack potency.

The escalating trend of DDoS attacks, with attack volumes skyrocketing to 1.6 Tbps, demands heightened awareness and proactive defense strategies from organizations worldwide. The impact of these attacks spans industries, with the gaming and financial sectors being the hardest hit. However, DDoS attacks also target telecommunications, IaaS providers, and computer software companies, affecting critical infrastructure and disrupting essential services. To mitigate this growing threat, organizations must prioritize cybersecurity investments, implement reliable mitigation measures, and collaborate with industry experts to effectively combat and neutralize DDoS attacks. By engaging in robust defense strategies, organizations can safeguard their digital assets, maintain operational continuity, and protect their reputation in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Explore more

Why Are Small Businesses Losing Confidence in Marketing?

In the ever-evolving landscape of commerce, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) globally are grappling with a perplexing challenge: despite pouring more time, energy, and resources into marketing, their confidence in achieving impactful results is waning, and recent findings reveal a stark reality where only a fraction of these businesses feel assured about their strategies. Many struggle to measure success or

How Are AI Agents Revolutionizing Chatbot Marketing?

In an era where digital interaction shapes customer expectations, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally altering the landscape of chatbot marketing with unprecedented advancements. Once limited to answering basic queries through rigid scripts, chatbots have evolved into sophisticated AI agents capable of managing intricate workflows and delivering seamless engagement. Innovations like Silverback AI Chatbot’s updated framework exemplify this transformation, pushing the

How Does Klaviyo Lead AI-Driven B2C Marketing in 2025?

In today’s rapidly shifting landscape of business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal force, reshaping how brands forge connections with their audiences. At the forefront of this transformation stands Klaviyo, a marketing platform that has solidified its reputation as an industry pioneer. By harnessing sophisticated AI technologies, Klaviyo enables companies to craft highly personalized customer experiences,

How Does Azure’s Trusted Launch Upgrade Enhance Security?

In an era where cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, businesses running workloads in the cloud face constant challenges in safeguarding their virtual environments from advanced attacks like bootkits and firmware exploits. A significant step forward in addressing these concerns has emerged with a recent update from Microsoft, introducing in-place upgrades for a key security feature on Azure Virtual Machines

How Does Digi Power X Lead with ARMS 200 AI Data Centers?

In an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, the demand for robust, reliable, and scalable data center infrastructure has never been higher, and Digi Power X is stepping up to meet this challenge head-on with innovative solutions. This NASDAQ-listed energy infrastructure company, under the ticker DGXX, recently made headlines with a groundbreaking achievement through its