The cyber landscape, just like the political landscape, has created a pressure cooker of activists looking to create disruptions. Since November last year, it was reported that nearly 6 billion data breaches had been recorded. As businesses and governments prepare for the infamous hacking methods of malware, ransomware, and trojan horses, it is easy to forget about the “less shiny” techniques, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS).
DDoS attacks are malicious attempts to disrupt the normal traffic of a targeted server, service, or network by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic. Unlike malware, DDoS isn’t designed to steal or hold hostage your sensitive information, but rather to cause disruption. Hacktivists aren’t necessarily motivated by monetary gains alone but rather to send a message, cause a nuisance, and distraction.
And with high levels of political activity being caused by the global elections, regional conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, and ongoing tensions in the Middle East, DDoS attacks will likely be a key tactic used to disrupt governments and businesses.
Cybersecurity Threat Analyst at Vercara.
The growing threat of DDoS attacks
DDoS has been used in a wide range of purposes such as targeting mobile communications in Ukraine, hospitals in Romania, as well as cultural and information-based sites such as the recent attack on The Internet Archive.
Botnets for hire on the Dark Web have made it easier than ever for malicious actors to launch their own attacks on institutions. Simply, you can find a provider and pay for an hourly service that can be used to attempt to bring down a network. With the right know-how and motivations, DDoS attacks can be mounted on any online network.
The world is simmering with controversy from elections, environmental crises, to economic tensions. Digital disruptions have become the new form of protest. Hacktivists are now planning DDoS attacks on European political parties, as seen in the recent high-profile attacks from Ziyaettin against the campaign website of Jean-Luc Melenchon, who is currently running in the France Presidential race.
According to a recent report from Vercara, hacktivists are planning DDoS attacks on European political parties campaigning policies that oppose the hacktivist’s interests.
Details of two significant DDoS attacks focused on political websites in the Netherlands were disclosed to the public occurring on June 5 and 6. The first attack peaked at 115 million requests per hour, with one targeted site receiving 73,000 requests per second for a duration of four hours.
Following the attack, the hacktivist group 'HackNeT' claimed responsibility for the attacks on their telegram channel, identifying their targets as PVV (Party for Freedom) and FvD (Forum for Democracy).
The importance of robust cybersecurity measures
DDoS attacks present themselves as a tool for hacktivists looking to send a message by disrupting your ability to communicate with your audience. Whether that be a politician's website to share their policies, a massive corporation to conduct business or even a website to share the history and culture that has been shared on the internet.
The significant disruptions caused by DDoS attacks underscore the need for a robust defense. A DDoS attack initially presents itself as a sudden slowdown or unavailability of a site or service. However, recognizing the difference between attacks and performance issues caused by legitimate traffic is crucial. This means the first step in addressing this challenge is a thorough investigation.
Why effective collaboration is vital
A proactive and aggressive approach to cybersecurity is not only effective but necessary against motivated hackers. By protecting yourself against any cyberattacks you will not only fortify your own security but ensure the safety of your users.
A strong relationship between yourself and your security providers is a key partnership in this current cyber landscape. Knowing you can trust the systems in place allows businesses to operate online freely and with the reassurance that your hard work won’t be completely destroyed.
The month of June saw a substantial increase in DDoS attacks targeting Vercara customers with a 288% increase compared to May 2024. Without substantial protection in place, this could have been detrimental to business continuity.
This highlights the need to protect against such incidents. Implementing proactive defensive measures entails adopting resilient network security protocols, utilizing DDoS mitigation services, and staying vigilant against emerging threats.
The hidden dangers of malware, Trojan horses, and spyware demand attention, but the simplicity and effectiveness of DDoS attacks make them a critical threat that cannot be ignored. And the rise of sophisticated hacktivist groups like NoName and their associates as well as SN_BLACKMETA and RipperSec highlights the urgent need for continuous monitoring and intelligence sharing on both national and international levels.
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