As digital innovation accelerates, so does the scale and sophistication of cyber threats, particularly Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks, which overwhelm systems with floods of traffic, are growing in both frequency and complexity. According to our research, more than a third (37%) of European businesses have experienced such an attack within the last year.
While disruptive in their own right, these attacks can also serve as a smokescreen for more targeted incidents, such as SQL injection attacks. While security teams tackle the immediate chaos of the DDoS attack, malicious actors can exploit unnoticed vulnerabilities.
Recently, Cloudflare mitigated a record-breaking DDoS attack peaking at 5.6 Tbps – the largest publicly disclosed attack ever. This came after a 3.6 Tbps attack earlier in the same campaign, which targeted industries such as finance, telecoms, and internet service providers. Spanning an entire month, the campaign consisted of over 100 individual incidents, many exceeding 3 Tbps in volume.
For industries that depend on real-time operations, even brief downtime can cause significant financial and reputational damage. The stakes are high, and organizations that aren’t prepared face catastrophic consequences.
Field CTO, EMEA, Cloudflare.
A global challenge in the age of IoT
The proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has introduced new vulnerabilities into enterprise environments. These devices often comprise of security measures, including factory default usernames and passwords, while remaining constantly connected online. This creates the perfect environment for attackers to assemble botnets capable of launching large-scale, anonymous cyberattacks. Exacerbating the issue is the global distribution of these devices, making it harder to predict when or where the next attack will occur.
Recent attacks, such as the Mozi and HTTP/2 vulnerabilities originated from compromised devices in nations including the US, Russia, Brazil, and Vietnam. In these attacks, botnets composed of hijacked routers, webcams, and servers enabled attackers to strike from virtually anywhere. This global, decentralized nature of modern threats demands that organizations rethink and evolve their cybersecurity strategies.
Today’s attackers increasingly blend volumetric attacks with application-layer exploits, targeting specific system vulnerabilities. These multi-pronged tactics make detection and mitigation more complex, as various layers of an organization’s IT infrastructure can be attacked simultaneously. To counter these challenges, businesses must adopt a comprehensive approach to security. Monitoring both network infrastructure and application layers is critical to identifying and addressing vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
Defending against the evolving threat
Speed and precision are essential when identifying and mitigating today’s DDoS attacks. Automated systems powered by real-time machine learning and artificial intelligence have become indispensable. These technologies enable organizations to detect and neutralize threats, analyze traffic patterns, and respond instantly without human intervention. This approach means that organizations are able to prevent attacks before they have even begun – bolstering their preventative security measures further than just fighting them in real time.
Automation is a vital tool, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. A truly effective defense requires a multi-layered security strategy that combines advanced traffic filtering, real-time analytics, and actionable threat intelligence. These systems work together to differentiate legitimate traffic from malicious activity, allowing businesses to maintain continuity without compromising performance, reliability or security. It is also important for organisations to regularly review and test their incident response plans, ensuring teams are well-prepared for real-world scenarios.
A global, high capacity, anycast network is another powerful tool in the fight against high-volume attacks. By dispersing traffic across multiple data centers worldwide, this approach ensures no single location bears the brunt of an attack, minimizing downtime and maintaining service continuity. For example, a connectivity cloud can absorb and reroute massive traffic surges through its distributed infrastructure, providing seamless, scalable protection against even the largest DDoS campaigns.
Cloud computing services also play a critical role, acting as a buffer to absorb the impact of large-scale attacks that traditional on-premises systems cannot handle. However, organizations must carefully evaluate their providers’ DDoS protection capabilities to ensure they can withstand the escalating scale of threats.
Building a resilient future
The threat of hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks is not going away. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of European business and technology leaders believe a cybersecurity incident is likely within the next year, reflecting growing concern over the evolving threat landscape.
By leveraging global infrastructure, automating defenses, and layering security strategies, organizations can build the resilience needed to face these challenges. Equally important is fostering a culture of security awareness and staying informed about emerging threats.
Cyber Resilience in the face of DDoS attacks will be a defining trait of successful organizations in the coming years. By adopting advanced tools, embracing Zero-Trust strategies, and continuously refining their cybersecurity posture, businesses can protect their systems and adapt to an ever-changing threat landscape.
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