• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
IT Infrastructure, Network Security, News

DDoS Attacks Combined With Extortion Attempts Exploded in Q4

According to new data from Cloudflare, the amount of DDoS attacks being layered with a ransom demand increased by 175% in the fourth quarter.

January 12, 2022 Zachary Comeau Leave a Comment

DDoS, NETSCOUT Arbor Insight

According to new data from web infrastructure and security firm Cloudflare, the amount of DDoS attacks being layered with a ransom demand are increasing significantly.

The company’s DDoS Attack Trends report for the fourth quarter of 2021 revealed a ransom DDoS attack increase of 29% for the year and a whopping 175% for the quarter.

Unlike ransomware where the hacker encrypts a victim’s systems and holds their data hostage unless they pay a ransom, a ransom DDoS attack is when a threat actor attempts to extort money from a victim by threatening a DDoS attack. If that DDoS attack is successful at crashing victim systems, it has the same effect as a ransomware attack—downtime and a loss of business.

Now, nearly one quarter of DDoS victims say attackers have sent them a letter demanding payment to stop the attacks.

In December alone, nearly one third of survey respondents reported being targeted by a ransom DDoS actor or threatened by the attacker, according to Cloudflare’s report.

The company says the fourth quarter and November were particularly active with persistent ransom DDoS attacks against VoIP providers around the world.

Although the fourth quarter of 2021 was full of ransom DDoS attacks, the attacks were far less frequent in other quarters, with just 8% in Q2, 9% in Q2 and 14% in Q1.

My TechDecisions Podcast Episode 143: DDoS Attacks and Triple Extortion

Cloudflare also included data from the fourth quarter of 2020 when 17% of DDoS attacks included a ransom threat.

Generally, ransom DDoS attacks spike in the fall and winter, according to Cloudflare’s data.

The company’s report cited security headlines from the past year, including the Kaseya ransomware compromise, the Log4j vulnerability and record-breaking HTTP DDoS and network-layer attacks.

“Prominent attacks such as the ones listed above are but a few examples that demonstrate a trend of intensifying cyber-insecurity that affected everyone, from tech firms and government organizations to wineries and meat processing plants,” the company said in a blog discussing the data.

According to the report, other alarming data about DDoS attacks includes:

  • Manufacturing was the most attacked in the fourth quarter with application-layer DDoS attacks, recording a 641% increase from Q4 2020.
  • The company says it mitigated the largest DDoS attack on record—a 17.2 rps attack from the Meris botnet.
  • The fourth quarter was the busiest for network-layer DDoS attacks, with December recording more than all the attacks observed in the first two quarters.

For more information on DDoS attacks, read Cloudflare’s blog post. 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: Cybersecurity, ddos, ransomware

Related Content:

  • Cloud, SASE, Aryaka How the Cloud is Redefining Media Production and…
  • Singlewire Software mass notification interview Singlewire Software on Mass Notification Solutions
  • URI catchbox 1 Catchbox Plus: The Mic Solution That Finally Gave…
  • Engaging virtual meeting with diverse participants discussing creative ideas in a bright office space during daylight hours Diversified Survey: Workplace AV Tech is Falling Short,…

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Practical Design Guide for Office SpacesPractical Design Guide for Office Spaces

    Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-face time with co-workers. When designing the office spaces — and meeting spaces in particular — enabling that connection between co-workers is crucial. But introducing the right collaboration technology in meeting spaces can […]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.