Security News > 2021 > April > DDoS attacks increased by 20% in 2020, meaning everyone should consider themselves at risk
Cybersecurity firm NETSCOUT has released a new report detailing the state of DDoS attacks during the past year and it leads with an unfortunate new statistic: 2020 was the first year that the number of observed DDoS attacks crossed the 10-million mark.
The most DDoS attacks recorded in a single month hit a new high at 929,000, and average DDoS attacks per month topped 2019 averages by between 100,000 and 150,000.
In all, there was a 20% increase in the number of DDoS attacks from 2019 to 2020, and the second half of 2020 was where most were concentrated, with a 22% spike in the last six months of the year.
In addition to the rise in overall DDoS attacks, NETSCOUT identified a new threat actor it dubbed Lazarus Bear Armada, which it said was responsible for "One of the most sustained and extensive DDoS extortion campaigns yet seen" as it knocked the New Zealand stock exchange offline in its first known attack.
There's a lot to digest in NETSCOUT's report, but suffice it to say that 2020 was a banner year for cybercriminals utilizing DDoS attacks as their weapon of choice.
"Ultimately, organizations should consider DDoS to be a normal part of their risk posture and plan to include protections as part of the core security measures in place," Hummel said.
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