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Nexusguard DDoS Research Reveals 80 Percent Attack Increase
[July 27, 2016]

Nexusguard DDoS Research Reveals 80 Percent Attack Increase


Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks increased 83 percent to more than 182,900 attacks in the second quarter of the year, according to Nexusguard's "Q2 2016 Threat Report." Nexusguard, the worldwide leader in DDoS security solutions, analyzes a network of vulnerable devices for new cyberthreats across country and organizational boundaries. The company scans attack data for trends in vectors, duration, sources and other characteristics to inform organizations across industries of the latest methods. Nexusguard's quarterly reports arm security professionals with information to help them properly protect their networks.

The newest report shows that Russia has become the No. 1 victim country. Starlink - a Russian internet service provider supporting small, medium and large enterprises - received more than 40 percent of the DDoS attacks measured over a two-day period. This targeted DNS attack also pushed the mean average DDoS duration to hours instead of minutes, as measured in the previous quarter. Nexusguard's researchers attributed tis increase to nationalist hactivists organizing a targeted attack to take out Russian businesses, rather than outbreaks driven by popular DDoS-for-hire activity. As a result, Nexusguard analysts advise businesses to safeguard their infrastructures and check service provider security to ensure continuity for their web presence.



"We were surprised to see an increase in DDoS attacks this quarter, especially as hackers experiment with ransomware, phishing schemes and other data-grabbing methods for monetary gain," said Terrence Gareau, chief scientist at Nexusguard. "Organizations can expect cyberattacks to continue growing in frequency this year, especially with more attention on the Summer Olympics and the November election season in the U.S. The results from this quarter also show how important it is to not only protect your website, but also to plan for new payloads and attacks on your infrastructure."

The United States and China continue to hold spots for the top three target countries. Brazil remains in the top 10, as well, but saw its attacks decline by more than half. Nexusguard also measured increases in other attack varieties, including routing information protocol (RIP) and multicast domain name system (mDNS) threats. Hackers are experimenting with new attack methodologies, and with the upcoming Olympics in Brazil and political tensions around the world, Nexusguard researchers predict these factors will contribute to a DDoS spike in Q3.


Read the full "Q2 2016 Threat Report" for more details.

About Nexusguard

Founded in 2008, Nexusguard is the global leader in fighting malicious internet attacks. Nexusguard protects clients against a multitude of threats, including distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, to ensure uninterrupted internet service. Nexusguard provides comprehensive, highly customized solutions for customers of all sizes, across a range of industries, and also enables turnkey anti-DDoS solutions for service providers. Nexusguard delivers on its promise to maximize peace of mind by minimizing threats and improving uptime. Headquartered in San Francisco, Nexusguard's network of security experts extends globally. Visit www.nexusguard.com for more information.


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