DDoS Attacks Rose 151% in First Half of 2020
Attacks grew in number, size, and sophistication as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.
September 17, 2020
DDoS attacks grew in number, volume, and intensity in the first half of 2020 compared to the first half of 2019, and both very large and very small DDoS attacks showed increased sophistication and intensity in 2020, according to new data from Neustar.
Small DDoS attacks - 5 Gbps or less - grew by more than 200% year over year while very large attacks (100 Gbps and above) showed a 275% growth. And according to the Cambridge University Cybercrime Centre, most of the growth came not from existing criminal groups increasing their activities, but from new players in the DDoS marketplace.
The period also featured the largest volumetric attack Neustar has ever seen, with 1.17 terabits-per-second aimed at the victim. The company reports that amplification attacks also grew in the first half, with one that measured 800 million packets-per-second.
This growth in attack sizes and frequencies came during the rapid Internet traffic growth that accompanied the worsening COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, Internet use was up 50 - 70%, and streaming media up more than 12% in the first quarter of 2020 alone, according to Omdia.
For more, read here.
About the Author(s)
You May Also Like
Is AI Identifying Threats to Your Network?
May 14, 2024Where and Why Threat Intelligence Makes Sense for Your Enterprise Security Strategy
May 15, 2024Safeguarding Political Campaigns: Defending Against Mass Phishing Attacks
May 16, 2024Why Effective Asset Management is Critical to Enterprise Cybersecurity
May 21, 2024Finding Your Way on the Path to Zero Trust
May 22, 2024
Black Hat USA - August 3-8 - Learn More
August 3, 2024Cybersecurity's Hottest New Technologies: What You Need To Know
March 21, 2024