Cybersecurity expert, Imperva, a Thales company, has released its 2024 DDoS Threat Landscape report which looks at DDoS attacks activity for the first half of 2024, showing that the volume and sophistication of DDoS attacks are on the rise.  

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are malicious attempts to disrupt the normal operations of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of Internet traffic.

A major factor behind the increase is automation and easy access to DDoS tools which has made it possible for individuals with limited technical expertise to launch substantial attacks.

Imperva mitigated 111% more DDoS attacks than the same period in 2023. The largest application DDoS attack happened in February 2024 with an attack that reached an unprecedented 4.7 million Requests Per Second (RPS). There was a 483% increase in the bandwidth size of DNS Amplification attacks in the second half of 2023. 

Certain industries have been particularly targeted, reflecting their critical roles and the high stakes involved in disrupting their services.

DDoS attacks on the retail sector have risen by nearly 61% since last year, reflecting a steady increase in cybercrime targeting e-commerce platforms and online retail operations. This trend highlights growing vulnerability as cybercriminals aim to disrupt sales and compromise customer data.

The report offers key takeaways to help organisations prepare for the evolving threat landscape: 

  • Election security: With the potential for politically motivated DDoS attacks, increased vigilance, and robust cyber defenses are essential during election periods. 
  • Mirai Botnet variants: Continuous monitoring and updates are crucial to mitigate threats from new variants of the Mirai botnet.
  • AI and cybersecurity: As AI lowers the barrier for cyber attackers, investing in AI-driven defense mechanisms becomes increasingly important.
  • Evolving threat groups: Staying informed about the activities of major hacking groups helps anticipate and prepare for new threats.