Unveiling the New Threat Landscape

The rising tide of DDoS attacks threaten organizations worldwide that deliver critical access and services. This tide brings new threats, evolving tactics, and a doubling-down on adversary methodologies to launch hybrid application-layer and botnet-based direct-path DDoS attacks.

From our first Worldwide Infrastructure Security Report (WISR) in 2005 to our 5th Anniversary DDoS Threat Intelligence Report today, we have witnessed a tenfold increase in DDoS attacks. These attacks evolved from simple denial-of-service to dynamic distributed denial-of-service where attacks evolve and adapt to counter network defenders. This is unfolding while adversaries continue to expand and launch new botnets to devastating effect, creating a shifting paradigm with direct-path attacks at the center. Complex multi-vector attacks and more sophisticated adversary methodologies have become commonplace, highlighting the need for intensive scrutiny of the threat landscape and an ever-evolving defense-in-depth positioning to weather the onslaught of attacks that include carpet-bombing to application-layer and state-exhaustion attacks.

These attacks have a very real impact as reported by our customers, the largest service providers and enterprises in the world. We continue to invest heavily in research and development of our Visibility Without Borders^®, ATLAS platform, as we have done for over the last two decades. ATLAS is the key to understanding these threats, learning from them, and positioning organizations to mitigate these attacks. It is also the fuel that powers this DDoS Threat Intelligence Report, enabling global DDoS awareness and defense. We would like to thank our customers for supporting and joining us in this mission, as Guardians of the Connected World.

ANIL SINGHAL, CEO NETSCOUT