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5 DDoS Myths Debunked

  • 5 DDoS Myths Debunked-

    DDoS Targeting

    Myth: A DDoS attack has never targeted us before, so it never will.

    Fact: The odds are changing. It's never been easier to launch a DDoS attack. Combine this with the fact that there are many motivations behind DDoS attacks, and you'll see why there has been a dramatic rise in the number of attacks. Unfortunately, they are non-discriminating and it can happen to just about any vertical or size of business. As long as you have some form of internet presence, you could be the victim of a DDoS attack.

    To compound this, new tools have enabled anyone with an internet connection and a grievance to launch a DDoS attack, and the cost to entry is low — both from the attacker's technical abilities and cost perspectives. For example, for less than $5 per hour, anyone – without any technical capabilities – can hire a “DDoS for Hire Service” to execute a DDoS attack. The mean cost to the attacker is very low, but the cost to the victim is about $500 per minute, according to ASERT.

    This is a true game changer in terms of the threat landscape and all businesses should consider themselves a potential target of attack. No longer is it just certain verticals that are likely targets – such as finance, gaming and e-commerce. Today, any business, for any reason, any real or perceived offense or affliction, can become a target of a DDoS attack. A prime example of this is the recent 2016 Rio Olympics, where hacktivists targeted many organizations tangentially related to the Rio Olympics (i.e., ISPs, banks, sponsors) with DDoS attacks.

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5 DDoS Myths Debunked

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  • 5 DDoS Myths Debunked-2

    DDoS Targeting

    Myth: A DDoS attack has never targeted us before, so it never will.

    Fact: The odds are changing. It's never been easier to launch a DDoS attack. Combine this with the fact that there are many motivations behind DDoS attacks, and you'll see why there has been a dramatic rise in the number of attacks. Unfortunately, they are non-discriminating and it can happen to just about any vertical or size of business. As long as you have some form of internet presence, you could be the victim of a DDoS attack.

    To compound this, new tools have enabled anyone with an internet connection and a grievance to launch a DDoS attack, and the cost to entry is low — both from the attacker's technical abilities and cost perspectives. For example, for less than $5 per hour, anyone – without any technical capabilities – can hire a “DDoS for Hire Service” to execute a DDoS attack. The mean cost to the attacker is very low, but the cost to the victim is about $500 per minute, according to ASERT.

    This is a true game changer in terms of the threat landscape and all businesses should consider themselves a potential target of attack. No longer is it just certain verticals that are likely targets – such as finance, gaming and e-commerce. Today, any business, for any reason, any real or perceived offense or affliction, can become a target of a DDoS attack. A prime example of this is the recent 2016 Rio Olympics, where hacktivists targeted many organizations tangentially related to the Rio Olympics (i.e., ISPs, banks, sponsors) with DDoS attacks.

Enterprises and service providers worldwide, across every industry, face a never-ending deluge of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that continue to rise in size, frequency and complexity. Unfortunately, not all companies realize the danger that DDoS attacks pose, or have insight into their own risk profile. The bottom line is that you first need to understand the facts about both in order to determine the right amount of insurance and risk you're willing to live with. In an effort to shed more light on these issues, Tom Bienkowski of Arbor Networks has outlined the five most common DDoS myths that he's heard from customers and prospects in the field.