The frequency of DDoS attacks continues to surge at an alarming rate, as highlighted in the latest Gcore Radar report for the second half of 2024. The total number of attacks increased by 56% compared to the same period in the previous year, with the largest recorded attack reaching an unprecedented 2 Tbps.
The financial sector has been particularly affected, witnessing a staggering 117% rise in attacks. However, the gaming industry remains the most targeted sector, despite its share of attacks declining from 49% to 34%. Experts attribute this shift to improved defensive measures, which have forced cybercriminals to redirect their efforts toward alternative targets.
Attacks are not only growing in magnitude but also in complexity. Instead of prolonged campaigns, attackers increasingly deploy short yet highly intense bursts of traffic that are more challenging to detect and mitigate. These sophisticated assaults can incapacitate services within minutes by mimicking legitimate traffic patterns. Traditional defense mechanisms are proving insufficient, necessitating the adoption of more adaptive security solutions by organizations.
Key drivers behind the rising number of attacks include the accessibility of DDoS toolkits, the expansion of botnets fueled by vulnerable IoT devices, and geopolitical as well as economic motivations. Among the most prevalent attack vectors, UDP flood accounts for 60% of network-based attacks, while the proportion of ACK flood attacks has grown to 7%.
The largest attack in the second half of 2024 targeted a gaming company, surpassing the previous record of 1.7 Tbps. While mitigation providers can swiftly neutralize such threats, their destructive potential remains formidable, posing a significant risk to businesses that rely on uninterrupted online services.
Geopolitical dynamics continue to influence the cyber threat landscape. The United States, the Netherlands, and China remain primary hotspots for attack origination. Meanwhile, Brazil has emerged as a major new hub for network attacks, with Indonesia also expanding its global presence in cyber warfare.
The latest Gcore report underscores the critical need for adaptive security measures that account for evolving threat vectors. Advanced filtering systems, strategically distributed across six continents, have become indispensable in countering large-scale attacks, which are growing increasingly sophisticated and dangerous.
