BackAfter ransomware, DDoS attacks rose three times during coronavirus pandemic
Kaspersky experts believe that the rise in DDoS attacks can be attributed to the covid-19 pandemic affecting countries worldwide. Cybercriminals find it easier to target home networks instead of taking on enterprise networks
PremiumNEW DELHI: Ransomware aren’t the only kind of cyber attacks companies have to protect against. According to a report by security firm Kaspersky, the second quarter of 2020 saw a three-fold increase in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks as compared to the same period last year. The figure is almost the same as it was in the first quarter of the year, the firm noted.
Just like the increased number of ransomware attacks, Kaspersky experts believe that the rise in DDoS attacks can also be attributed to the covid-19 pandemic affecting countries worldwide. As employees work from home, cybercriminals find it easier to target home networks instead of taking on enterprise networks, which are usually more secure.
“The number of attacks Kaspersky DDoS Protection detected and blocked in Q2 2020 is 217% higher than in the same period of 2019," the company said in a press note. The results also contradict the annual trends that Kaspersky sees around the world. The company said the intensity of DDoS attacks are usually seasonal, and are usually high during the beginning of the year, since it’s a peak season for businesses. Attacks usually start decreasing during late spring and summer, the company said.
Last year, the number of attacks during the summer fell by 39% compared to the first quarter of the year. The difference between the two quarters was 34% in 2018. The biggest number of attacks this year came on April 9, when Kaspersky registered 300 DDoS attacks on a single day.
"This year, people have not been able to enjoy a normal holiday season as many regions have kept covid-19 lockdown measures in place. This has left more people than usual still depending on online resources for both personal and work-related activities, making this summer a busy period for online businesses and information resources. As a result, we saw unprecedented activity in the DDoS market. And so far, there is no reason to predict a decline," said Alexey Kiselev, Business Development Manager on the Kaspersky DDoS Protection team.
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