These attacks entered the scene in the late ‘90s. Like other methods of cyberattacks, they’ve only evolved to become more mature and complex. Over the last year alone, security professionals have also witnessed a steady rise in carpet bomb DDoS attacks, which target all IP addresses in a network block to evade detection and constantly change targets to make mitigation more difficult. In the first half of this year, 75% of DDoS attacks were carpet bomb attacks, making 2024 “The Year of greece rcs data Carpet Bombs.” Compared to the first half of 2023, they have increased by 186%, indicating a prominent trend with hackers.
Reputation is undoubtedly a significant driver behind these attacks, as incidents aim to take down an organization’s service for extended periods. When customers cannot access these services, frustration and fractured brand loyalty are likely outcomes. Repeated attacks also paint compromised organizations in a negative light, damaging public trust and causing customers to feel hesitant to entrust their information with a brand. Brand trust plays a pivotal role in the digital landscape, with 75% of consumers reporting they’d sever ties with a brand in the aftermath of any cybersecurity issue.
DDoS attacks can also weaken an organization financially. For example, downtime on services due to a successful attack can drive customers to competitors, leading to a direct revenue loss that could be worth millions. Like reputational implications, damaged trust and reputation can directly correlate with financial losses. As DDoS attacks take down services or, oftentimes, entire websites, customers may not even know about the incident, leading them to perceive the brand as unreliable. This can ultimately cause net losses over time as customers are less likely to make purchases with brands they don’t trust.