Defending the Digital Frontier: A10 Networks Exposes the Rise of Multi-Vector DDoS Assaults

Organizations are witnessing a surge in the frequency of DDoS attacks, with the average attack exceeding 50 Gbps, experiencing a fourfold increase in just two years, as detailed in a recent study released today by A10 Networks (NYSE: ATEN), a leading provider of Secure Application Services™.

In collaboration with IDG Connect, the research also uncovered massive 1 Tbps attacks, which originated last year from the Mirai botnet, impacting a significant number of organizations; 42% reported that their average attack size surpassed 50 Gbps. This illustrates a considerable increase from 2015, when merely 10% of attacks exceeded this benchmark.

Multi-vector DDoS attacks are consistently on the rise, targeting both networks and applications swiftly. These findings indicate that the proportion of organizations encountering between 6 to 25 attacks annually surged from 14% in 2015 to 57% in 2017.

Network Layer Remains the Key Target

While DDoS attacks are increasingly affecting various layers, such as the application layer, assaults on the network layer continue to be predominant, with 29% of participants experiencing attacks at this level.

Downtime is Decreasing

Nonetheless, DDoS solutions are rising to the challenge, with improved mitigation and recovery techniques minimizing downtime. As DDoS events transpire, the downtime for organizations has shifted from days to hours. The survey revealed that in 2017, only 15% of attacks resulted in over 25 hours of downtime, a decrease from 29% in 2015.

DDoS Prevention Budgets on the Rise

A considerable number of organizations plan to enhance their budget allocations for DDoS preventive measures. 74% of respondents indicated that their DDoS budgets are growing, compared to 54% two years prior. Overall budget allocations have also expanded, from 22% to 29%.

Diverse IT Professionals Mobilizing for DDoS Prevention

While IT security teams play a critical role in DDoS prevention, the significance of other roles has increased since 2015. An increasingly skilled and varied cadre of IT professionals, encompassing network administrators, security architects, and network architects, are assuming greater responsibilities in DDoS defense, highlighting a rise in expertise across various fields.

Mohammed Al-Moneer, Regional Director, MENA at A10 Networks, states, “The escalating sophistication of DDoS attacks has emerged as an inescapable element of the cybersecurity landscape, threatening the accessibility of enterprise websites. As the threat landscape develops, new attack vectors are expected to arise, and DDoS attacks will continue to grow in both scale and complexity. This underscores the necessity for regular evaluations of existing tools, strategies, and expertise. Therefore, any DDoS approach should be routinely and thoroughly assessed against evolving business priorities and the expanding array of potential vulnerabilities. As competencies advance in response to a fluctuating threat environment, organizations in the Middle East can strategically allocate their efforts and resources towards establishing an efficient DDoS strategy and implementing suitable solutions.”

IDG Connect conducted this survey on behalf of A10 Networks to investigate and understand the digital security landscape, with a particular focus on the distributed denial of service (DDoS) threats that organizations face across various sectors.

Discover more about A10’s DDoS protection solutions, including A10 Thunder TPS, the most advanced DDoS defense solution available in the market. A10 Thunder TPS is proficient at detecting and mitigating DDoS attacks of varying sizes, safeguarding the most substantial and demanding network environments against adversaries who escalate the intricacy of DDoS threats.