Woburn, MA – August 10, 2020 — /BackupReview.info/ — According to the latest Kaspersky quarterly DDoS attacks report, the number of DDoS attacks in the second quarter of 2020 increased three times in comparison to Q2 2019. This figure is almost the same as the number of DDoS attacks in Q1 2020. Kaspersky experts believe the rise in malicious activity can be attributed to the impact of COVID-19, as both cybercriminals and their targets have had to reconsider their summer plans.

The pandemic and subsequent social distancing restrictions have significantly changed people’s lives and many are either spending their days off in “staycation” mode or have cancelled their scheduled holidays. This change in summer plans has had unexpected consequences, like an increased number of DDoS attacks.

The number of attacks Kaspersky DDoS Protection detected and blocked in Q2 2020 is 217% higher than in the same period of 2019, and the number of attacks in Q2 2020 slightly increased in comparison to the first quarter of this year.

These results contradict the annual trends that Kaspersky researchers usually find. Normally, the number of DDoS attacks varies depending on the season. The beginning of the year usually sees a higher amount of DDoS, as it is a peak season for business, and in late spring and summer the number of attacks begin to decrease. For example, the number of attacks in Q2 2019 fell by 39% compared to figures for Q1 2019, and in 2018 the difference between the two quarters was 34%.

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Image: The difference between Q1 and Q2 through 2018-2020. Q1 of each year is taken as 100%

This trend is reflected by the number of commands received by bots from C&C servers, which were intercepted and analyzed by the Kaspersky DDoS Intelligence system. Broadly, the average number of attacks registered daily in the second quarter increased by almost 30% compared to what happened in Q1. In addition, the biggest number of attacks per day was almost 300 in Q2 (registered on April 9), while in Q1 2020 the record was 242 attacks.

“This year, people have not been able to enjoy a normal holiday season as many regions have kept COVID-19 lockdown measures in place,” comments Alexey Kiselev, business development manager on the Kaspersky DDoS Protection team. “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 there is no reason to predict a decline.”

To help organizations protect themselves from DDoS attacks during the vacation season, Kaspersky recommends the following measures:

  • Maintain web resources operations by assigning specialists who understand how to respond to DDoS attacks. They must also be prepared to respond out-of-hours, during evenings and weekends
  • Validate third-party agreements and contact information including those made with internet service providers. This helps teams quickly access agreements in case of an attack
  • Implementing professional solutions will safeguard an organization from DDoS attacks. For example, Kaspersky DDoS Protection combines Kaspersky’s extensive expertise in combating cyberthreats and the company’s unique in-house developments.

For more information and to read the full report, please visit Securelist — https://securelist.com/ddos-attacks-in-q2-2020/98077/

About Kaspersky
Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity company founded in 1997. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at usa.kaspersky.com

Media Contact:
Cassandra Faro
Cassandra.Faro@Kaspersky.com
781-503-1812

Source: Kaspersky

 

 

 

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