According to a survey by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, the majority of companies believe that revenue and reputation losses are the most damaging consequences of a DDoS attack.
This type of cyber bulling has become the most common and affordable weapon used by competitors, extortionists or just everyday cyber-vandals.
Overall, 26% of companies that have been targeted by DDoS attacks regarded lost business opportunities as the biggest risk resulting from the attack.
The damage that an attack can have on a firm’s reputation was seen as the second most scaring consequence (23%), with 19% naming the loss of current customers who could not access the anticipated service as the third biggest risk.
Some 17% of the companies believed that it would be beneficial to have a backup system to keep services running in case of attack.
Different companies in different fields, the survey revealed, had different views on how to tackle DDoS attacks.
Industrial, telecoms, e-commerce and utilities had all put reputation ahead of lost business opportunities. While the construction and engineering sectors had bigger concerns with the costs of putting into place back-up systems.
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Even though DDoS attacks have become ever more costly to businesses, only 37% admitted to having measures in place to fight them. Some of the reasons pointed for such low percentage was the vast offer the IT security market has to give.
Evgeny Vigovsky, Head of Kaspersky DDoS Protection, Kaspersky Lab, said: "People who have not yet faced a particular threat often tend to underestimate it while those who have already experienced it understand which consequences might be the most damaging for them.
"However, it makes little sense to wait until the worst happens before acting – this can cost companies a lot, and not only in financial terms. That is why it is important to evaluate all possible risks in advance and take appropriate measures to protect against DDoS attacks."
