DDoS attacks emerge as key tool in geopolitical cyber warfare

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have become a dominant weapon in political cyber-warfare, with global activity increasing significantly.

According to Netscout, nearly 9 million DDoS attacks occurred in the second half of 2024, marking a 12.7% rise from the first half.

This brought the total for the year to 16.8 million, a 30% increase compared to 2023’s 13 million attacks.

DDoS attacks disrupt targeted servers or networks by overwhelming them with excessive internet traffic, often coinciding with moments of national vulnerability.

Netscout researchers described these attacks as “precision-guided digital weapons” used to amplify chaos during elections, protests, and geopolitical conflicts.

Regions like Latin America and Asia-Pacific saw the largest surges, with increases of 30% and 20%, respectively.

The evolving threat landscape is further fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).

AI-powered automation enables attackers to bypass CAPTCHA systems, mimic user behavior, and adjust tactics in real time.

Ashley Stephenson, CTO at Corero Network Security, noted that AI lowers barriers to entry for attackers by automating complex tasks once requiring specialised skills.

Hacktivist groups and politically motivated actors are leveraging DDoS attacks to target critical infrastructure globally.

For example, NoName057(016), linked to pro-Russian agendas, launched attacks on Spanish websites during Spain’s elections and targeted Poland following its prime minister’s support for Ukraine.

Similarly, Peru experienced a 30% rise in DDoS incidents tied to protests over former President Alberto Fujimori’s release.

The gaming and gambling industries also faced heightened threats in 2023, with over 120,000 combined DDoS attacks disrupting tournaments and services.

These incidents highlight the broadening scope of targets beyond traditional political institutions.

Experts warn that DDoS attacks will likely intensify as geopolitical tensions persist and significant elections approach worldwide.

Richard Hummel of Netscout emphasised the importance of predictive threat intelligence and advanced protection measures to counteract rising security fatigue among network operators.