Cloudflare Mitigates Historic World Record 5.6 Tbps DDoS Attack!

Cloudflare, a leading web infrastructure and security company, has reported the largest Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack ever recorded—a massive 5.6 terabits per second (Tbps) assault targeting an internet service provider (ISP) in Eastern Asia. Despite the unprecedented scale, Cloudflare successfully mitigated the attack without any human intervention.

In research published on Tuesday, Cloudflare revealed that the attack originated from over 13,000 Internet of Things (IoT) devices infected with a variant of the Mirai botnet. The attackers attempted to overwhelm the ISP’s servers with UDP (User Datagram Protocol) traffic, potentially disrupting services. However, Cloudflare’s automated defense systems neutralized the attack before it could cause any operational issues.

“No human intervention was needed, no alerts were triggered, and there was no performance degradation,” Cloudflare stated in a blog post. “The systems functioned exactly as designed.”

Read the complete Cloudflare report here

Attack Details

• The UDP-based attack occurred on October 29, 2024.
• It targeted an internet service provider (ISP) in Eastern Asia to disrupt its services.
• Cloudflare, a security and connectivity services provider, reported that the attack lasted 80 seconds but had no impact on the target due to autonomous detection and mitigation.

Previous Record: 3.8 Tbps Attack

Before this incident, the largest recorded DDoS attack occurred in early October 2024, peaking at 3.8 Tbps and lasting 65 seconds.

Rise of Hyper-Volumetric DDoS Attacks

Hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks have become more frequent, with a significant increase observed in Q3 2024. By Q4 2024, attacks exceeding 1 Tbps saw a 1,885% quarter-over-quarter growth.

Packet-Based Attacks on the Rise

• Attacks exceeding 100 million packets per second (pps) increased by 175%.
• 16% of these attacks surpassed 1 billion pps.

Overview of DDoS Attacks in Q4 2024

• Hyper-volumetric HTTP DDoS attacks made up only 3% of total recorded incidents.
• 63% of attacks remained small, staying below 50,000 requests per second (rps).
• Network layer (Layer 3/Layer 4) attacks:93% stayed below 500 Mbps.87% did not exceed 50,000 pps.

Blitz DDoS Attacks: Short but Intense

Cloudflare warns that DDoS attacks are becoming increasingly short-lived, making it difficult for humans to respond and apply mitigations in real time.

Attack Duration Trends

• 72% of HTTP and 91% of network layer DDoS attacks lasted less than 10 minutes.
• Only 22% of HTTP and 2% of network layer attacks extended beyond an hour.

These attacks often coincide with peak internet usage periods, such as holidays and sales events, maximizing their impact.

Rise in Ransom DDoS Attacks

Ransom-driven DDoS attacks saw a 78% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) increase and a 25% year-over-year (YoY) rise, peaking during Q4 and the Christmas season.

Most Targeted Regions & Industries

The most targeted regions in Q4 2024 included:

• China
• Philippines
• Taiwan
• Hong Kong
• Germany
• Brazil
• Singapore
• Canada
• India
• Egypt (New to Top 10)

The most affected industries were:

• Telecommunications & Service Providers
• Internet Sector
• Marketing & Advertising
• Information Technology & Services
• Gambling & Casinos
• Gaming
• Retail
• Banking & Financial Services
• Construction & Civil Engineering
• Media, Production & Publishing

The Need for Automated DDoS Protection

Cloudflare emphasizes the necessity of always-on, automated DDoS protection to counter the increasing frequency and sophistication of these attacks.

Types of DDoS Attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can be categorized into three main types: volumetric attacks, protocol attacks, and resource layer attacks.

1. Volumetric Attack: This type of attack aims to flood the network with traffic that initially appears legitimate. Volumetric attacks are the most frequent type of DDoS attack. A common example is DNS (Domain Name Server) amplification, which leverages open DNS servers to overwhelm a target with an excessive volume of DNS response traffic.
2. Protocol Attack: Protocol attacks disrupt services by exploiting weaknesses in the layer 3 and layer 4 protocol stack. A well-known example is a SYN flood attack, where an attacker consumes all available server resources by repeatedly initiating connection requests.
3. Resource (or Application) Layer Attack: This type of attack focuses on targeting web application packets, disrupting the flow of data between hosts. Examples include HTTP protocol violations, SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and other layer 7 attacks.

Cyber-attackers may use a combination of these types to maximize damage. For instance, an attack might start as one type and evolve into or combine with others to amplify its impact on the target system.

Furthermore, each category contains a variety of attack methods, with the frequency of new cyber threats continuing to rise as attackers become more advanced.

How to Detect and Respond to a DDoS Attack

Although there isn’t a single method to detect a DDoS attack, there are a few telltale signs your network might be under assault:

• A sudden and unusual spike in web traffic, often from the same IP address or range.
• A significant slowdown in network performance or erratic behavior.
• Complete inaccessibility of your website, online store, or service.

Modern security software can assist in identifying potential threats by alerting you to unusual system changes, allowing for quick responses. It’s also vital to have a pre-defined DDoS action plan in place, detailing specific roles and response procedures. Since not all DDoS attacks are identical, it’s crucial to tailor your response to the particular attack you're facing.

How to Prevent DDoS Attacks

Prevention is the best defense. Having a well-prepared process in place before a cyberthreat emerges is critical for detecting and addressing attacks promptly.

Here are some key steps to prepare:

• Develop a comprehensive denial-of-service defense strategy to detect, prevent, and mitigate DDoS attacks.
• Regularly assess potential threats and identify any vulnerabilities in your security setup.
• Ensure all protective software and technologies are up to date and functioning properly.
• Train your team and assign clear roles in case of an attack.

By implementing the right products, processes, and services, your business will be better equipped to respond when an attack is detected.

DDoS Protection

To better protect your network from future attacks, consider the following actions:

• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify areas that need threat protection.
• Establish a dedicated DDoS response team tasked with identifying and addressing attacks.
• Implement robust detection and prevention tools across your online operations, and train employees on what to watch out for.
• Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of your defense strategy, conduct practice drills, and plan for next steps to improve.

A proactive approach to DDoS protection is essential for safeguarding your business from evolving cyber threats.

Read the complete Cloudflare report here