With so many cyber threats targeting organizations like yours, why would you want to prioritize your DDoS defense? And why now? And what do superheroes have to do with it? Well, there are several reasons, and we’re going to list them in this article. In recent years, DDoS attacks have evolved to become the leading cyber threat. DDoS attacks are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, with a rising number of attack vectors across a dynamic attack surface. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should make DDoS protection a priority:
1. The numbers don’t lie
The number of enterprises experiencing at least one DDoS attack per year is rising consistently, with recent years showing a serious shift towards governments, financial institutions, and gaming companies. 23,000 DDoS attacks are launched every 24 hours, with 679,000 DDoS attacks occurring monthly, and that results in an average of 16 DDoS attacks every minute. So, in the time it took you to read this, 16 DDoS attacks were launched. If we add the actual monetary damage a successful DDoS attack can cause due to the downtime, from operations to revenue, the equation becomes even more alarming. Simply put, a successful DDoS attack can hit anytime, anyone, and it will cost a lot to handle.
2. 404 is the devil
If you are a CISO or a BISO, it doesn’t matter what field your organization is in, you know that once your site is down, the clock is ticking… backward. If your organization can’t service its clients, the ramifications will result in severe brand damage and loss of revenue. Your existing clientele will become frustrated, and new potential clients might choose your competitor. No matter the case, DDoS attacks do exactly that – they deny your service to your clients. Even if said clients won’t see the infamous 404, they will still encounter lag time on site and denied service.
3. It has become an industry standard
As mentioned, recent years saw a rising number of fierce DDoS attacks around the world, in various fields, for various reasons – from politically motivated to plain old malicious intent. While mitigation providers have shifted their focus to prioritizing DDoS mitigation, many organizations aren’t waiting and are doing the same. Now, it seems that governments are joining in, and according to a recent development, there’s a good chance that DDoS mitigation will become more than an industry standard, but a regulated one, as part of a wide cybersecurity effort.
4. You need visibility
As DDoS attacks become more sophisticated, the number of attack vectors is rising, and so do your vulnerabilities. This means your attack surface is wide and dynamic. In 2022, we saw another rise in the number of attacks and an escalation in their complexity. So, prioritizing your DDoS mitigation efforts will grant you the necessary information about your network’s critical vulnerabilities and will allow you to prioritize the necessary remediation steps moving forward.
5. Stay ahead of the game
Organizations invest heavily in deploying mitigation solutions, but security teams cannot always test their mitigation solution due to maintenance windows that cause downtime, manpower, and many other variables. Because networks are constantly being updated and reconfigured, the DDoS vulnerability gap expands exponentially. Due to these changes, it is critical for organizations to detect and remediate the vulnerability gap before attackers can exploit it. Prioritizing your DDoS mitigation and following it with proactive remediation will put you ahead of the curve.
To conclude, from simple disruption to ransom attacks, DDoS attacks have become the new cyber threat to organizations worldwide, and the effect that a sophisticated DDoS attack can have on any organization, even a medium-scale one, can be devastating. Whether you’re a financial institution or a gaming company, DDoS attacks are one of the major threats to your business activity. With full visibility into your attack surface, you’ll be able to wear the metaphorical cape and become the bold protector that your organization needs. Yeah, like a superhero. But for DDoS.
