• 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
  • Subscribe
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
IT Infrastructure, Network Security, News

Report: DDoS Attacks Increasing As Record-Setting Year Is Anticipated

Ransomware gangs are using DDoS attacks to further pressure victims into paying large ransoms as attacks surge, new Netscout report finds.

September 23, 2021 Zachary Comeau Leave a Comment

DDoS, NETSCOUT Arbor Insight

It’s not just ransomware and supply chain cyberattacks that IT pros have to defend against, according to a new report that indicates DDoS attacks are also increasing in frequency and scope.

According to cybersecurity company Netscout, there were 5.4 million distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the first half of 2021, which is an 11% increase from the first half of 2020. The company also predicts a record-setting year for these attacks, expecting them to surpass 11 million globally, fueling a growing cybersecurity crisis impacting both public and private sectors.

The company’s seventh b-annual Threat Intelligence Report also found that threat actors exploited seven newer reflection/amplification attack vectors, spurring an increase in multisector DDoS attacks with a record-setting 31 attack vectors deployed in a single attack against one organization.

The report also offers new insight into how cybercriminals are combining DDoS attacks with other attack methods, including ransomware. In this scenario, threat actors find their way into a victim’s network, encrypt data, steal that data and threaten to publicly release. If the victim still doesn’t pay, hackers resort to triple extortion and conduct DDoS attacks to pressure the victim into paying a ransom.

“First, it emphasizes the seriousness of the adversary,” the report says. “And second, maintaining availability adds yet another stressor to a security team already dealing with the first two events.”

The report comes as news of VoIP company VoIP.ms battles a DDoS attack, which has made the company require visitors to its website complete a CAPTCHA to prove that they’re human. In Twitter posts, the company said it is battling a “massive” DDoS attack and is working to re-establish its services.

Read Next: The Rise of Triple Extortion Ransomware

Although unconfirmed, a Twitter account purporting to be associated with the rEvil ransomware gang has claimed responsibility and has demanded $4.3 million to stop the attacks.

A message on the company’s website states the DDoS attacks continue to target the company’s website and POP servers, but some services have been restored. Check out the company’s twitter for more updates on this.

VoIP.ms, according to Netscout’s report, is an ideal target, as “vital components of the connectivity supply chain” are seeing increasing DDoS attacks. The report listed DNS servers, virtual private networks (VPN) and internet exchanges as the top targets.

According to Netscout, wired and wireless telecommunications carriers and data, hosting and related services make up the top vertical industry targets for DDoS attacks.

“Even if the attack does not take the component fully offline, these services represent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of consumers, and are the gateways to everything we do online,” the report said. “Take one down, and you impact a huge array of people, organizations, and service providers.”

Indeed, VoIP.ms, which says it has over 80,000 clients, has had its hands full responding to the attack and working with customers to get services back online, according to its Twitter posts over the last several days.

We understand your frustration for the limited information we have shared with our customers around our measures, but please understand that we have to limit our exposure when disclosing critical details that could potentially compromise our recovery plan.

— VoIP.ms (@voipms) September 23, 2021

Other findings in Netscout’s report include:

  • The fastest DDoS attack recorded a 16.17% year-over-year increase.
  • The largest DDoS attack, 1.5 Tbps, represented a year-over-year increase of 169%.
  • Botnets contribute to more than 2.8 million DDoS attacks. 

Check out the company’s report for more information on the DDoS threat landscape, including how to defend against these disruptive attacks.

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: ddos, ransomware

Related Content:

  • FTC Ring FTC Accuses Ring of Watching Private Videos, Poor…
  • Threat Detection Trends, 2023 Hacking Trends, Expel New Email Rules, MFA Bypass Are Top Hacking…
  • Lucidworks logo Lucidworks Strengthens Partnership with Google Cloud
  • Crowdstrike Charlotte AI CrowdStrike Launches Virtual Security Assistant Charlotte AI

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

    Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared to defend against them in this report from TechDecisions' Blueprint Series.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Get the FREE Tech Decisions eNewsletter

Sign up Today!

Latest Downloads

Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!
Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared t...

Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces
Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces

From lobbies and shared spaces to conference rooms and multipurpose facilities, you need high-performing AV technology to effectively share informa...

ChatGPT, generative AI, enterprise, workplace
Blueprint Series: ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Workplace

This latest release of the TechDecisions Blueprint Series explores the new phenomenon of tools such as ChatGPT and how IT leaders should go about d...

View All Downloads

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

Apply Today!
Sharp Microsoft Collaboration HQ Logo

Learn More About the
Windows Collaboration Display

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
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Media Solutions & Advertising
  • 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 PROVIDERSTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.