The rise in insecure IoT devices has led to a concerning increase in the size and frequency of DDoS attacks. With more and more IoT devices being connected to the internet without proper security measures in place, cybercriminals are able to exploit these vulnerabilities to launch massive attacks.
One of the earliest examples of this phenomenon was the Mirai botnet, which in 2016 was behind a 620 Gbps attack on French cloud computing company OVH. This attack served as a warning of the potential for IoT devices to be used in large-scale attacks, setting the stage for even bigger incidents to come.
As businesses have increasingly moved their operations to the cloud and the population of IoT botnets modeled after Mirai has grown, the scale of DDoS attacks has also expanded. In 2018, the code sharing platform GitHub was targeted with a 1.3 Tbps attack, followed by a 2.3 Tbps attack against AWS in 2020. The trend reached a peak in 2021 when Microsoft Azure faced a DDoS attack reaching 3.47 Tbps, indicating a worrying escalation in the capabilities of cybercriminals.
The key factor driving these escalating attacks is the sheer volume of IoT devices that can be compromised and used as part of botnets. With a larger number of devices at their disposal, attackers are able to generate a higher volume of malicious traffic, overwhelming the targeted systems with a flood of data. Additionally, certain protocols allow for reflection and amplification techniques to be employed, further magnifying the impact of the attacks.
The implications of these attacks are serious for businesses and organizations across industries. Not only can DDoS attacks disrupt services and operations, resulting in downtime and financial losses, they can also damage the reputation and trust of a company among its customers. In some cases, the attacks may be a smokescreen for more targeted and damaging cyber incursions, such as data theft or ransomware attacks.
To defend against these increasingly large and sophisticated DDoS attacks, organizations must prioritize cybersecurity measures and implement stringent security protocols for all devices connected to their network. This includes ensuring that IoT devices are properly configured and updated with the latest security patches, as well as deploying robust network monitoring and intrusion detection systems.
Collaboration among industry stakeholders, including device manufacturers, service providers, and cybersecurity experts, is also crucial in addressing the root causes of IoT vulnerabilities and improving the overall security posture of connected devices. By working together to address these security challenges, businesses can better protect themselves against the growing threat of DDoS attacks fueled by insecure IoT devices.