DDoS attacks have increased in frequency in 2017, with 33 per cent of organisations having faced one this year compared to just 17 per cent in 2016.
While DDoS attacks have been previously used to disable the operations of a target, the driving motivation to use it now is the theft of corporate data.
Over a third of organisations having been hit by a DDoS attack this year, 20 per cent have been small businesses, 33 per cent medium, and 41 per cent have been in the enterprise category. Security provider Kaspersky is behind this data, with findings from its Global IT Security Risks Survey 2017.
The damage inflicted by a DDoS attack may prove more long lasting than some might expect, with 26 per cent of businesses hit reporting a lasting impact on the performance of services.
Russ Madley, Head of VSMB & channel at Kaspersky Lab UK, said: “While DDoS attacks have been a threat for many years, it’s still important that businesses take DDoS attacks seriously as they are one of the most popular weapons in a cybercriminal’s arsenal. They can be just as damaging to a business as any other cybercrime, especially if used as part of a bigger targeted attack.”
It important to remember that DDoS attack can leave an organisation lame as it returns to regular activity, but an attack can also have a direct and immediate impact on reputation and the financial standing of a business.
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“The ramifications caused by these types of attacks can be far-reaching as they’re able to reach deep into a company’s internal systems. Organisations must understand that protection of the IT infrastructure requires a comprehensive approach and continuous monitoring, regardless of the company’s size or sphere of activity,” said Madley.
While more organisations are facing DDoS attacks, the percentage of businesses hit by more than one has dropped this year to 76 per cent, a reduction from the 82 per cent that experienced more than one last year.
