DDoS attack trends Q3–Q4 2024: three key insights from the latest Gcore Radar report
- February 12, 2025
- 2 min read
DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks are evolving to become even more sophisticated and dangerous. That’s why it’s vital to keep your digital resources thoroughly protected and stay aware of changes in how cybercriminals are targeting businesses.
The latest Gcore Radar report, covering the second half of 2024, offers insights into the latest attack trends, the industries that are most affected, and a general overview of the cyber threat landscape. These findings underscore the need for advanced, adaptive DDoS mitigation strategies to counter evolving attack patterns and shifting targets. Here are three key insights from the report, which you can download in full here.
#1. The number and size of DDoS attacks continue to increase
The total number of DDoS attacks increased by 56% compared to Q3–Q4 2024, with the largest attack peaking at 2 Tbps in Q3–Q4 2024—an 18% increase from the previous half year. The chart below shows how the number of attacks has risen over the last year.
There are many reasons for this rise, including the growing availability of tools (including AI), poorly secured IoT devices that make it easier for attackers to build large botnets, and geopolitical tensions worldwide. These factors have made DDoS attacks ever more frequent, complex, and damaging.
#2. The finance and gaming industries are favored targets for hackers
While businesses across all industries need to be on their guard, the finance and gaming sectors are most targeted. The financial services industry saw the most significant rise in attacks with a 117% increase, while gaming remained the most-targeted industry despite a 31% decrease in total share of attacks compared to Q1–Q2 2024. The slight relative decline in gaming-related attacks could be attributed to attackers potentially pivoting to focus on more high-value sectors such as finance.
Since the financial services industry is highly lucrative with a low tolerance for disruption and downtime, it’s seen as a perfect target for extortion opportunities. In Q3–Q4 2024, financial services experienced a significant increase in attacks, accounting for 26% of all DDoS attacks, up from 12% in the previous period.
#3. There are notable trends in where attacks originate
With an extensive presence across six continents, Gcore can provide precise geographical insights into the origins of all DDoS attack types. Hackers seem to favor locations with dense infrastructure and high connectivity, making proactive defenses in these areas increasingly critical. Countries emerging as key originators for attacks include the Netherlands, the US, Brazil, China, and Indonesia. The chart below shows the leading countries where network-layer attacks originate. To discover where application-layer attacks originate, check out the full report.
How Gcore can help protect your business from DDoS attacks
To stay one step ahead of hackers, it’s vital that every aspect of your business is protected from cyber threats. As DDoS attack methods become more sophisticated and targeted, organizations must adopt a proactive stance in their defense strategies.
No matter where your business operates, Gcore DDoS Protection can keep your business safe and secure. With a vast network capacity and global reach, our solution helps your business continuity and security in a challenging threat landscape. For a deeper dive into the data and trends, download the full Gcore Radar report.
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