Lumen Quarterly DDoS & Application Threat
Report reveals the latest trends and insights on
cyberattacks and AI threats
DENVER, Feb. 8, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- The government sector experienced a surge of DDoS
attacks in Q4 according to Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), a
global leader in integrated network and cybersecurity solutions.
The Lumen Quarterly DDoS & Application Threat Report for Q4
2023 analyzes data from its DDoS mitigation platform and
application protection partner, ThreatX, to provide an overview of
the DDoS and application-layer attacks that targeted organizations
in the last quarter of 2023.
According to the report, the government sector was hit hard:
- 66% of the 1,000 largest attacks Lumen mitigated were targeting
the government.
- Government attacks increased 163% from Q3 and a staggering
4,025% year over year.
- One government customer accounted for 1,759 attacks of the
1,953 government attacks in Q4, showing a persistent and focused
campaign by cybercriminals.
"The government sector holds extremely sensitive data, so you
can understand why it is a prime target for cyberattacks," said
Sharada Achanta, Lumen VP of
Product, Cybersecurity and AI. "Espionage, extortion, and
disruptions are the reasons behind these attacks, and the attackers
are not deterred by the increased security measures. The good news
is that Lumen, through our Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence,
can stop the attacks that cross our network before they become
destructive. Lumen's threat intelligence and DDoS mitigation,
powered by AI and machine learning, offer customers a distinctive
and comprehensive cybersecurity solution."
Lumen's report also reveals that its largest DDoS attack of 2023
happened in Q4, reaching a peak of 903 Gbps. This attack targeted a
telecom customer, which is part of a trend of telecom being a
frequent target of attacks because it carries traffic for all other
industries.
The Two Sides of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a
double-edged sword for cybersecurity, as attackers and defenders
use it to enhance their skills. Attackers use AI to hide, automate,
and craft sophisticated attacks, while defenders, like Black Lotus
Labs, use AI to monitor, detect, predict, and respond to
threats.
One growing concern in the AI space is how it might leverage
devices on the network edge. Those include IoT devices,
smartphones, and laptops.
- AI at the edge could increase the potential for AI-driven
attacks, such as DDoS attacks using compromised IoT devices, or
deepfake attacks using manipulated audio and video.
- AI can enable attacks that are faster, smarter, and more
powerful, such as self-learning malware, botnets that adjust to
defenses, and targeted social engineering.
AI can also be a powerful tool for defenders of the network.
- By using more analytics from edge devices, defenders can
improve AI models for detection, prediction, and response.
- AI at the edge can boost the defense capabilities by giving
more data and insights from edge devices and allowing quicker and
more customized responses.
Application Threats on the Rise
The report shows that
applications owned by ThreatX customers received more than 84
billion requests in Q4, with 1.7 billion of those blocked in real
time. Almost 37% of the blocked traffic was from web bots. The
attackers tried to access confidential information, change the
structure of the websites, and steal passwords.
"Cyber miscreants span a broad spectrum, from activists to
criminals to nation-state sponsored cyberwarfare groups. But DDoS
remains a common link between all these groups, as the ability to
disrupt the digital experience is a crude but effective cudgel
against any modern business," said IDC Cybersecurity research
director Chris Rodriguez. "With the
security implications of GenAI only just now being explored, the
most prudent way to prepare for the unpredictable is to focus on
security basics, including a robust DDoS detection and response
strategy."
"Application security is a critical component of any
organization's cybersecurity strategy," said Achanta. "Attackers
are after that critical data, constantly probing and testing
applications for vulnerabilities and weaknesses using a variety of
techniques and tools. Organizations need to have comprehensive and
tailored protection against network- and application-layer
attacks."
Protecting Businesses from DDoS Attacks
Although
people believe identifying a DDoS attack is simple, tactics are
becoming more complex and discreet. Businesses need to protect
themselves.
- If a company uses applications to interact with customers,
employees, or other stakeholders, they need holistic protection
against network- and application-layer attacks. This will keep
critical business functions up and running—even if they are under
an active attack.
- Businesses should consider deploying additional
application-layer defenses using Web Application Firewalls, API
protections and Bot Risk Management solutions, and pair those with
application acceleration solutions to make applications more
responsive for their customers.
- Having DDoS mitigation in place, such as Lumen® DDoS Hyper® can
prevent attackers from successfully launching large campaigns
against an organization.
- This guide can help businesses find out if they're under an
active DDoS attack.
Additional Information:
- For more insights and recommendations on how organizations can
improve their security posture and defend against cyberattacks,
read the full report here.
- Lumen has one of the largest DDoS mitigation deployments in the
industry, backed by 170 Tbps of network-based mitigation capacity
in more than 500 multi-tiered scrubbing locations.
- Learn more about Lumen DDoS Mitigation Services: DDoS
Mitigation | Web Application Security | Lumen
- Learn more about Lumen application protection services:
Web Application Firewall | Lumen
- Read how Lumen DDoS protection backed Texas Rangers' World
Series triumph: Texas Rangers' World Series triumph backed by Lumen
DDoS protection - Nov 27, 2023
About Lumen Technologies:
Lumen connects the world. We
are igniting business growth by connecting people, data, and
applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. Everything we
do at Lumen takes advantage of our network strength. From metro
connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud,
security, and managed service capabilities, we meet our customers'
needs today and as they build for tomorrow. For news and
insights visit news.lumen.com,
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United States. Lumen Technologies
LLC is a wholly owned affiliate of Lumen Technologies, Inc.
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SOURCE Lumen Technologies