Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are becoming one of the primary security threats faced by online businesses. By overloading servers with a deluge of traffic from multiple sources, DDoS attacks deliberately starve legitimate users of Internet resources and make online services unavailable.
As we predicted, DDoS attacks have become a significant disruption for network technology and are becoming more prevalent and destructive. According to Akamai’s State Of The Internet – Security Report, DDoS attack activity set a new record in the second quarter of 2015, increasing 132% compared with the same period a year earlier. Additionally, a Wells Fargo report published last week reiterated that DDoS attack activity intensified during the first half of 2015, with a notable increase in the duration and size of the attacks.
What companies are vulnerable targets?
Companies most at risk for DDoS attacks are those that transact business online. Financial services, telecom, high profile brands and government organizations are some of the most frequently targeted. Any business that processes credit card information or other personal data presents an opportunity for high return on investment through fraud. In addition, the online gaming industry is often the victim of DDoS attacks by hackers, making games unavailable for players.
Unfortunately, these attacks aren’t going away any time soon. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to take off, the increased number of devices connected to the Internet along with higher broadband speeds sets the stage for more malicious attacks with more devices.
How can you achieve enhanced web security?
To better safeguard Internap customers against debilitating threats, we’re partnering with Akamai to deliver DDoS protection for web applications and infrastructure. At Internap, our customers depend on reliable, always-on environments. The ability to thwart attacks and provide greater security without sacrificing performance for mission-critical applications is essential for business continuity and uptime.
