Continent 8 reports drop in DDoS attacks against its igaming customers in Q4

Continent 8 Technologies has revealed there were 187 DDoS attacks launched against its igaming customers in Q4 2023, representing a significant drop from the 3,367 attacks identified in Q4 2022.

The decrease was put down to the “well-orchestrated campaign that coincided with the World Cup and the Christmas holidays” last year by malicious actors.

Continent 8 confirmed Q4 2023 was the second-lowest quarter when it came to attacks, only three behind Q1’s figure of 184 and way below the 1,106 high of Q2.

October was the month which saw the most attacks, 84 in total, while there were 44 in November and 59 in December.

Those attacks were directed at 27 of Continent 8’s customers, with Malta being the most targeted location during the last quarter of the year.

The supplier added that there were no repeat attacks on the same day, which indicated that “each attack was a unique event”.

Among the 27 Continent 8 customers in the quarter, the most affected suffered 49 attacks, with the average number experienced by firms standing at seven.

While the largest DDoS attack in the quarter was 412.9Gbps, the average sized attack was a lowly 2.7Gbps.

The supplier said “most attacks were relatively small” but there were some outliers that significantly boosted the average attack size.

Continent 8 noted the average attack lasted 42 minutes, with the longest attack clocking in at almost three-and-a-half hours.

In comparison, the longest attack recorded by Continent 8 this year came in Q2, with a staggering 799 hours.

Craig Lusher, Continent 8 Secure Solutions product principal, said the attacks in the final quarter of 2023 highlighted the importance of DDoS mitigation strategies.

Lusher explained: “The Q4 stats show a need for targeted DDoS mitigation strategies, especially in high-risk months and for customers who are more frequently targeted.

“The data also helps enhance our DDoS Mitigation Solution, allocating more resources during peak attack periods and in regions such as Malta.”

Across 2023, Continent 8 revealed Kahnawake, Canada, was the most targeted location in Q1, followed by Paris in Q2, the Isle of Man in Q3 and the aforementioned Malta to close out the year.

The most attacked firm over 2023 suffered 669 attacks in Q2, while Q1 saw one firm attacked 31 times.

Lusher concluded: “In summary, 2023 began with frequent but less severe attacks which peaked in intensity during Q2, especially in Paris. As we moved into the second half of the year, we saw signs of decreasing frequency and severity.

“That said, the large attack sizes in Q4 indicated that while attacks may have become less frequent, their potential impact remains high, and businesses absolutely must have the protections in place to defend their systems, networks and data against DDoS attacks.”