Cloudflare Reports 20% Year-Over-Year Rise in DDoS Attacks in Q2 2024

Cloudflare, Inc., renowned for its contributions to Internet security and reliability, has released its Q2 2024 DDoS report. The report highlights significant insights into the global DDoS threat landscape, leveraging data from Cloudflare’s expansive network spanning 230 cities worldwide.

Key Findings:

– Cloudflare observed a notable 20% increase in DDoS attacks compared to the previous year.

– State-level or state-sponsored threat actors were identified in attacks against 1 in 25 respondents.

– Automated defenses generated 10 times more fingerprints to combat sophisticated DDoS attacks.

Threat Landscape Dynamics:

Cloudflare mitigated 8.5 million DDoS attacks in the first half of 2024, with Q2 seeing a slight decrease of 11% from Q1 but an overall 20% rise year-over-year. The company has already handled 60% of the total attacks mitigated in 2023.

Ransom DDoS Attacks:

Ransom DDoS attacks surged in May 2024, affecting 16% of Cloudflare’s customers, marking a notable increase from previous months.

State of Attackers:

Three-quarters of respondents were uncertain about their attackers’ identities, while others attributed attacks to competitors (59%), disgruntled users (21%), or state-level actors (17%).

Top Targeted Countries and Industries:

China topped the list for DDoS attacks in Q2 2024, followed by Turkey and Singapore. Information Technology & Services, Food & Beverages, and Telecommunications were the most targeted sectors.

Mitigation and Impact:

Cloudflare blocked 57 petabytes of DDoS attack traffic, emphasizing the necessity of automated detection and response systems.

Bashar Bashaireh, Managing Director at Cloudflare Middle East and Türkiye, emphasized the increasing sophistication of DDoS attacks and Cloudflare’s commitment to mitigating these threats.