DDoS Attacks Soar by 168% on Government Services, StormWall Warns

According to StormWall’s Q2 2023 Report, the United States, India, and China remain the most heavily targeted countries, bearing the brunt of the escalating DDoS attacks.

According to the Q2 2023 report released by global DDoS protection company StormWall, there has been a significant surge in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, with a staggering 68% increase compared to the previous year. The report unveils several key takeaways that shed light on the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

One of the most striking findings is the 136% increase in multi-vector attacks, indicating that cybercriminals are employing more sophisticated tactics to overwhelm their targets. Furthermore, StormWall observed a rise in the usage of Virtual Private Server (VPS) botnets, which adds to the complexity of mitigating these attacks.

Perhaps most concerning is the shift in targets towards essential services, including healthcare, financial institutions, and government agencies. StormWall’s report reveals that politically motivated attacks on the financial sector alone have experienced a staggering 110% year-over-year (YOY) increase, accounting for 26% of all attacks. This alarming trend highlights the potential consequences of cyber threats on the stability of critical financial infrastructure.

The telecommunications sector also faced a significant onslaught in Q2 2023, becoming the second most targeted industry with an 83% YoY increase in attacks. This demonstrates the growing vulnerability of communication networks and the potential disruptions to vital connectivity services.

This also confirms Nokia’s latest finding, which noted an increase in DDoS attacks against the telecom sector. It highlights a surge in malicious activity that was initially observed during the Russia-Ukraine conflict but has now spread to various regions globally.

Governments around the world should take immediate notice of the 168% surge in attacks on government services, which marks the highest increase across all sectors. StormWall’s report reveals that politically motivated threat actors orchestrated the majority of these incidents, indicating a scale of attacks not seen in recent months.

The transportation and healthcare sectors also experienced a worrisome increase of 137% and 126% YoY, respectively, showcasing the growing threats to crucial infrastructure.

The entertainment industry witnessed a notable spike as well, with a 72% YoY increase in attacks. Popular video streaming platforms and gaming servers were prime targets, leading to disruptions during the release of highly anticipated games such as Diablo 4.

While the ecommerce sector experienced a comparatively lower increase of 68%, StormWall’s report highlights that rival businesses aiming to disrupt competitors were the main driving force behind these attacks.

The logistics and education sectors accounted for 7% and 3% of the attacks, respectively. The manufacturing sector, although representing only 2% of attacks, saw an 18% YoY increase, indicating that threat actors are expanding their focus beyond the traditional target sectors.

Geographically, the United States, India, and China continue to bear the brunt of DDoS attacks. However, France has emerged as a notable addition to the list, experiencing a significant rise in attacks and becoming the fourth most targeted country.

DDoS attack by countries (StormWall)

StormWall’s Q1 2023 report, released in April this year, also listed India, China, and the United States as the top three countries to suffer from DDoS attacks.

StormWall’s founder and CEO, Ramil Khantimirov, expressed his concern over the escalating trend of DDoS attacks across industries. He emphasized the need for companies, especially those in essential services, to bolster their DDoS protection measures in preparation for what could be a challenging third quarter.

As cyber threats continue to evolve and grow in sophistication, organizations must prioritize robust cybersecurity strategies to safeguard their infrastructure, protect sensitive data, and ensure uninterrupted service delivery to customers and users.

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I am a UK-based cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering the latest happenings in cyber security and tech world. I am also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism