Akamai announces Prolexic Q2 2014 Global DDoS Attack Report

Akamai Technologies has announced availability of the Prolexic Q2 2014 Global DDoS Attack Report. Prolexic Technologies, now part of Akamai, is a recognized leader in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection services, and has produced the quarterly Global DDoS Attack Report since 2011.

“DDoS attacks continue in high numbers and with high average and peak bandwidths. They can take out an entire data center by overwhelming network bandwidth. Behind these powerful attacks are changing tactics to build, deploy and conceal powerful botnets. Server-side botnets are preying on web vulnerabilities and reflection and amplification tactics are allowing attackers to do more with less,” said Stuart Scholly, Senior Vice-President & General Manager of Security, Akamai Technologies.  

When building server-side botnets, attackers have been targeting Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) vendors with server instances running software with known vulnerabilities, such as versions of the Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) stack and Microsoft Windows server operating systems. They have also targeted vulnerable versions of common web Content Management Systems (CMS) such as WordPress and Joomla or their plugins.

While the use of server-based botnets is on the rise, the itsoknoproblembro (Brobot) botnet, also based on server infection, lurks in the shadows and appears poised for a strategically targeted comeback. Attacks in Q2 provide indications that the botnet is still in place from its earlier use in the Operation Ababil attacks against financial institutions in 2011-2013. Once thought to have been cleaned up, it appears the botnet has been surreptitiously maintained.

Reflection and amplification attacks were more popular compared to Q2 last year as well as last quarter, representing more than 15 per cent of all infrastructure attacks. These attacks take advantage of the functionality of common Internet protocols and misconfigured servers.  While the use of NTP reflection attacks was down significantly in Q2, likely due to community cleanup work, SNMP reflector attacks surged in Q2, filling the void.