Cybersecurity experts at StormWall, a DDoS protection company, warn that DDoS attacks on the entertainment industry in the Middle East are likely to increase significantly in the coming months.
Experts made this concerning prediction based on the current DDoS trend in the Middle East. Attacks on the region’s gaming industry have increased by 62% in June 2024. What’s more, StormWall’s Q1 2024 Cyber Threat Report shows that DDoS attacks across the Middle East have increased by 183% year-on-year.
The upcoming Esports World Cup may also contribute to the growth of attacks. The UAE is preparing to host the world’s largest cyber festival. The event, which runs from 3 July to 25 August, is likely to attract increased attention from hackers, leading to a surge in distributed denial of service attacks.
Esports tournaments attract millions of fans who’ll be tuning in to the livestreams. This dynamic will create the potential for financial gain through ransom demands.
The impact of DDoS attacks could extend far beyond the gaming industry. As seen in past incidents, such as the SquidCraft Games Minecraft tournament in Andorra in 2022, which left the entire country without internet after a telecom provider was targeted. This shows that the impact of DDoS attacks can be far-reaching. They have the potential to affect neighboring industries, ISPs, data centers and even the wider infrastructure.
DDoS attacks directed at the entertainment sector are notably powerful. Most reach over 1 Tbp/s, according to StormWall experts. What’s more, in many attacks on this vertical, hackers simulate traffic from legitimate users, making filtering difficult. At their peak, these attacks can reach 1.4 Tbp/s, easily overwhelming unprotected servers. Hackers may also use advanced techniques like carpet bombing, which is particularly challenging to mitigate without specialized protection.
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