https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Services Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • MSP 501 Information Center
    • 2021 MSP 501 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Top Gun 51
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Technology Services Brokerages
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • MSP 501 Information Center
    • 2021 MSP 501 Rankings
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • Channel Futures TV
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Advertise
    • 2022 Editorial Calendar
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • DE&I 101
    • Top Gun 51
    • Channel Partners 101 (CP 101)
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • MSP Summit
    • Channel Partners Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • About Us
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Security


Shutterstock

DDoS

A10 Networks: DDoS Weapons Multiplying Amid Increasing Attacks

  • Written by Edward Gately
  • May 4, 2022
The steady growth of IoT is providing a plethora of options for attackers to leverage and create botnets.

Over the past three years, distributed denial of service (DDoS) weapons have more than doubled, reaching 15.4 million in 2021.

That’s according to A10 Networks’ new DDoS threat report. It covers the increasing scope and intensity of such attacks, and the geographical splay of the attacks. It also offers preventive steps organizations can take to mitigate these.

Key findings include:

  • Over three years, the number of DDoS weapons rose from 5.9 million to 15.4 million.
  • China led the list of countries hosting the most DDoS weapons, with more than 2 million amplification weapons and botnet agents.
  • There was a 100% year-on-year increase of more obscure potential amplification weapons, including Apple Remote Desk (ARD), used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • Attackers have been quick to leverage the well-known Log4j vulnerability, with more than 75% of Log4j scanners originating in Russia.

Plethora of Options to Leverage, Create Botnets

Babur Nawaz Khan is A10 Networks‘ senior product marketing manager.

A10 Networks' Babur Nawaz Khan

A10 Networks’ Babur Nawaz Khan

“The steady growth of IoT is providing a plethora of options for attackers to leverage and create botnets,” he said. “This, coupled with the widespread use of malware in the automated exploitation and creation of botnets, has fueled the surge of DDoS attacks in recent years. A recent example of this is the use of the Log4j vulnerability in DDoS.”

The popularity of the well-known Log4j vulnerability has helped to fuel the surge in DDoS attacks that A10 Networks has been monitoring, with the scale of its use potentially extending to billions of devices worldwide, Khan said.

“According to NIST, the Java Naming and Directory Interface (JNDI) features within Log4j, used in configuration and logging, can easily be hijacked by attackers who can control log messages or log message parameters to execute malicious code,” he said. “At the same time as the disclosure of the Log4j vulnerability was being made public, A10 Networks’ analysis of hosts affected by the [vulnerability] revealed that 75% of all scanning was sourced from Russia.”

Log4j Used to Acquire Systems for DDoS Attacks

A10 Networks discovered cybercriminals using Log4j to acquire systems for DDoS attacks globally, Khan said. The vulnerability had the potential to create large botnets capable of carrying out large-scale DDoS attacks.

“Furthermore, the use of protocols like the Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP), a dangerous and potent DDoS weapon that topped the list of the most potential amplification weapons, has been made easy since most of these systems are exposed to the internet and readily exploitable for large-scale amplification attacks,” he said. “This was undoubtedly a contributing factor as to why the number of DDoS weapons tracked by A10 Networks has risen to over 15.4 million in 2021.”

It is well-reported that the pandemic caused a spike in cyberattacks, including malware, ransomware and DDoS attacks. Threat actors have sought to disrupt not only services people rely on everyday like health care, education and financial, but also critical infrastructure, like food supply chains, utilities and government agencies. Correspondingly, there has been a dramatic increase in the weapons that cybercriminals can use to launch these attacks.

“To counter the ongoing threat of DDoS attacks, organizations should prioritize implementation of zero-trust strategies to identify and isolate problem areas, use modern artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML)-based automated DDoS defenses to protect against all DDoS attacks, and monitor devices, traffic and users to ensure networks are not weaponized and used against the internet,” Khan said.

Attacks Will Only Intensify

While the world eases into a more normal operating environment, cyberattacks, including state-sponsored attacks, will only continue to intensify, Khan said.

“This is mainly due to the fact that with each passing year, the acquisition of DDoS weapons and the ability to launch a DDoS attack has almost become ubiquitous,” he said. “The motives for launching DDoS attacks also seem to evolve.”

Cybercriminals are using DDoS attacks as arbitrary tools of distraction or disruption for financial gain or to make a statement.

As illustrated by state-sponsored attacks by Russia, there’s clear evidence that these closely coordinated attacks are complementing physical confrontation on the ground, Khan said. That’s likely to continue with future conflicts.

“It is therefore essential for governments to remain vigilant,” he said.

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Edward Gately or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Tags: MSPs VARs/SIs Analytics Artificial Intelligence Best Practices Channel Research Cloud IoT Security Technologies Vertical Markets

Most Recent


  • money
    'An Era Has Ended': Inside the $61 Billion Broadcom-VMware Deal Rocking the Software Industry
    "VMware was in a quandary," an analyst told Channel Futures.
  • Business megaphone
    Departing Microsoft Channel Chief Rodney Clark Announces New Job
    We know where Clark is headed after surprisingly leaving Redmond.
  • Layoffs, unemployed
    Lacework Confirms Layoffs Impacted 20% of Workforce
    Last November, Lacework raised $1.3 billion in growth funding.
  • focus a camera
    Knowledge 2022: ServiceNow Focused on Partner Experience to Drive Growth
    ServiceNow will roll out a reimagined partner program early next year.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Technology
    New Technology Offerings for the Channel: AT&T, Datto, Microsoft, RingCentral
  • New
    Open Systems, Microsoft Collaborate on New Security Services
  • Dell Tech World Feature 2022
    Dell Technologies World Gives Ecosystem a Broad View of Multicloud Strategy
  • Cybersecurity Headline
    Ransomware Grabbing More Headlines, But Other Cyber Threats Loom

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Europe

June 14, 2022 - June 15, 2022

MSP Summit

September 13, 2022 - September 16, 2022

Galleries

View all

‘An Era Has Ended’: Inside the $61 Billion Broadcom-VMware Deal Rocking the Software Industry

May 26, 2022

Knowledge 2022: ServiceNow Focused on Partner Experience to Drive Growth

May 26, 2022

The Gately Report: Cybereason Helps MSSPs Provide Unified Security, Details Massive Espionage Ring

May 26, 2022

Industry Perspectives

View all

Increased Cybersecurity Vulnerability = Increased MSP Opportunities

May 25, 2022

Leverage Your MSP’s People Power

May 24, 2022

How SD-WAN Helps Secure the Expanding Network Perimeter

May 19, 2022

Webinars

View all

Simplifying SaaS Security for MSPs

April 27, 2022

How to Supercharge The Network to Support Your IT Superhero Moves

May 3, 2022

The 2022 MSP Challenge: Scale Service Delivery Despite the Talent Gap

April 21, 2022

White Papers

View all

Work Goes Remote – (and Other Top ITOps Trends)

May 25, 2022

The New Bottom Line: How MSPs Can Meet the Healthcare Crisis While Evolving Their Businesses

April 19, 2022

How to build a Security Operations Center (on a budget)

April 4, 2022

Channel Futures TV

View all

AT&T, Microsoft, Cisco, ThreatLocker on Unlocking Partner Potential

Agents Share ‘Secrets,’ Industry Opportunity

May 11, 2022

Vonage Addresses Potential Partner Opportunity via Acquisition by Ericsson

May 5, 2022

Lumen Technologies ‘Built for Growth and Scale’

May 4, 2022

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@Lacework lays off 20% of workforce. #cloudsecurity dlvr.it/SR7Jsl https://t.co/Mg3OVXHAhe

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

#Know22: @ServiceNow focused on transforming #partnerexperience to foster more growth. dlvr.it/SR7Hbj https://t.co/J1BhmT3OzS

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

Departing @msPartner exec @rodneyc55 to become @johnsoncontrols chief commercial officer. dlvr.it/SR7HZN https://t.co/v0eVGBMKbQ

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

Everyone's talking about the massive Broadcom-VMware deal. @AnuragTechaisle, @Dataprise, @Carousel_Ind, @imlazar an… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

Our latest Gately Report features @cybereason on MSSPs and growth, @Hornetsecurity acquisition, @marketsandmarkets… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

“The ‘on premises versus cloud’ debate is dead” @DellTech @DellTechUK @DayneTurbitt explains the opportunity for… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

.@Broadcom's acquisition of @VMware comes as the chipmaker reports that infrastructure software accounted for 23% o… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 26, 2022
ChannelFutures

Are your #MSP clients struggling to handle their cybersecurity vulnerability? #cybersecurity #cyberthreats… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

May 25, 2022

MSSP Insider

Business advice for MSSPs and news from the broader security channel.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X