Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have come a long way since their inception, growing in size, complexity, and impact. As cybercriminals develop more sophisticated methods, the importance of robust DDoS mitigation strategies has never been greater. Let’s explore how these attacks have evolved and why they remain a critical cybersecurity challenge.

What is a DDoS Attack?

At its core, a DDoS attack overwhelms a server, service, or network with excessive traffic, making it inaccessible to legitimate users. By harnessing a botnet (a network of compromised devices) attackers flood their target with invalid requests, exceeding its capacity and causing service disruptions.

A Short Journey Through DDoS History

The roots of denial-of-service attacks date back to the early computing era. One of the earliest incidents occurred in 1974 when a student inadvertently disrupted multiple university systems. Over time, these attacks evolved into more deliberate and large-scale campaigns.

In 1999, the University of Minnesota suffered a two-day outage caused by the “Trinoo” tool. The year 2000 marked another milestone, with high-profile attacks on major websites like Yahoo! and CNN, showcasing the disruptive potential of DDoS. These incidents were a wake-up call, highlighting the need for more resilient online infrastructure. Things sure accelerated moving forward.

The Modern Era of DDoS Attacks

Over the last decade, DDoS attacks have grown exponentially in both scale and sophistication. Attack sizes that once peaked at a few hundred gigabits per second (Gbps) now reach terabit levels, with the largest recorded attack in 2024 surpassing 5.6 Tbps. Similarly, the number of requests per second (RPS) has escalated dramatically, with some attacks generating over 200 million RPS.

The reasons behind this growth are multifaceted:

• Shift to Virtual Machine Botnets: Attackers increasingly use cloud-based virtual machines (VMs) rather than traditional IoT devices, leveraging the enhanced computational power of platforms like AWS and Google Cloud.
• Exploitation of Cloud Resources: Cybercriminals often use stolen credentials to anonymously access cloud infrastructure, deploying smaller yet more efficient botnets.
• Emerging Techniques: Advanced methods, such as the HTTP/2 Rapid Reset attack, enable attackers to generate unprecedented volumes of malicious requests.

The Implications for Businesses

The rapid evolution of DDoS attacks poses significant challenges for organizations:

• Operational Disruptions: Service outages caused by DDoS attacks can lead to lost revenue, damaged reputations, and decreased customer trust.
• Escalating Costs: The financial impact of mitigating attacks and recovering from downtime can be substantial.
• Obsolete Defenses: As attacks grow more sophisticated, traditional mitigation measures struggle to keep up, necessitating innovative solutions.

How CoreTech Protects Against DDoS Attacks

At CoreTech, we understand the evolving nature of DDoS threats and are committed to providing cutting-edge protection to our clients. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology and robust infrastructure, we deliver reliable, scalable DDoS mitigation solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of organizations worldwide.

CoreTech’s Capabilities Include:

• Multi-Layered DDoS Mitigation: Our solutions combine network-based filtering, protocol-specific defenses, and application-layer protection to address the full spectrum of DDoS threats.
• Global Network: With strategically placed scrubbing centers across multiple regions, including a focus on low-latency connectivity for customers in the Middle East, we ensure seamless protection even during large-scale attacks.
• XDP Technology: We employ advanced eXpress Data Path (XDP) filtering, enabling ultra-efficient mitigation of high-volume attacks at the network edge while preserving legitimate traffic.
• Customizable Solutions: CoreTech offers tailored configurations, allowing clients to define specific DDoS filtering rules based on their unique infrastructure needs.

By combining these capabilities, CoreTech ensures that our clients’ services remain operational and secure, even in the face of evolving DDoS tactics.

Ready to improve your defenses? Contact us at [email protected] to learn how CoreTech can help safeguard your infrastructure and keep your business online.