Ethical Hacking News
DDoS deluge: Brit biz battered as botnet blitzes break records - A recent report by Cloudflare reveals that 2025 was indeed a record-breaking year for DDoS attacks, with the company reporting over 47.1 million assaults worldwide. This surge in activity reflects broader global trends and tensions, with the United Kingdom's sudden rise to number six standing out as a particularly concerning development.
The number of DDoS attacks increased by 31% compared to the prior quarter and 58% over 2024, marking a notable escalation in what is being described as a record-breaking year for traffic floods. Cloudflare reported that it had to swat away 47.1 million DDoS attacks in Q4, representing a significant increase from the previous year. A botnet known as Aisuru-Kimwolf pushed traffic to a record-breaking 31.4 Tbps, targeting Cloudflare customers and its own dashboard and infrastructure. The attack demonstrated how attackers are leveraging compromised devices to launch massive attacks, overwhelming networks with traffic to cripple their functionality. Cloudflare attributes much of the surge to large botnets built from compromised internet-connected devices, including routers, cameras, and DVRs. Attackers are increasingly abusing cloud-hosted virtual machines to generate large bursts of traffic, allowing them to scale attacks quickly. The UK's sudden rise to number six in the DDoS flood charts reflects broader global trends and tensions, with pro-Russian hacktivists attributing this to factors such as geopolitical tensions.
In recent months, a significant surge in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks has left organizations around the world reeling. According to Cloudflare, a leading provider of cloud-based security services, the number of DDoS attacks increased by 31% compared to the prior quarter and 58% over 2024. This marked a notable escalation in what is being described as a record-breaking year for traffic floods.
The Q4 statistics confirm that 2025 was indeed a busy year for DDoS crews, with Cloudflare reporting that it had to swat away 47.1 million DDoS attacks. This represents a significant increase from the previous year and underscores the growing threat posed by malicious actors seeking to disrupt global connectivity.
One of the most notable examples of this trend was the "Night Before Christmas" campaign, which saw an Aisuru-Kimwolf botnet pushing traffic to a record-breaking 31.4 Tbps. This attack targeted Cloudflare customers as well as Cloudflare's own dashboard and infrastructure in parallel. The sheer scale of this assault highlights the increasing sophistication and coordination among DDoS crews.
The Aisuru-Kimwolf botnet, which was largely composed of malware-infected Android TVs, demonstrated how attackers are leveraging compromised devices to launch massive attacks. This is a common tactic used by malicious actors, who seek to overwhelm networks with traffic in order to cripple their functionality.
Another notable trend observed by Cloudflare is the shift towards smash-and-dash traffic spikes. Some incidents during this campaign wrapped up in well under two minutes yet still pushed traffic into the billions of packets per second. This underscores how sheer speed has become the real weapon in DDoS attacks, making it increasingly difficult for organizations to defend against such assaults.
Cloudflare attributes much of the surge to large botnets built from compromised internet-connected devices, including routers, cameras, and DVRs. These types of attacks are particularly worrying as they can be launched on an unprecedented scale, leveraging vast networks of vulnerable devices to overwhelm targeted systems.
The company also notes that attackers are increasingly abusing cloud-hosted virtual machines to generate large bursts of traffic, allowing them to scale attacks quickly. This has significant implications for organizations relying on cloud-based services, as a single DDoS attack can have devastating consequences.
Geographically, the shifts in DDoS targets reflect broader global trends and tensions. The United Kingdom's sudden rise to number six stands out, with Cloudflare attributing this to factors such as geopolitical tensions and pro-Russian hacktivists. This marks an unwelcome leap for Britain, which is now being targeted by malicious actors on a significant scale.
The UK's climb in the DDoS flood charts underscores the growing threat posed by sophisticated attackers seeking to disrupt global connectivity. With financial services remaining a favorite target, it is clear that organizations must take proactive steps to defend against such attacks.
In response to this trend, Cloudflare has emphasized the need for autonomous systems capable of detecting and blocking massive, short-lived attacks in real time without human intervention. This approach recognizes that when traffic surges to record levels and then vanishes within a couple of minutes, humans will never react quickly enough.
Conclusion:
The escalating threat of DDoS attacks highlights the growing importance of robust cybersecurity measures for organizations worldwide. As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, it is essential that businesses prioritize their security posture, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and strategies to defend against such threats.
In recent months, a significant surge in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks has left organizations around the world reeling. This marked a notable escalation in what is being described as a record-breaking year for traffic floods.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Distributed-Denial-of-Service-Deluges-The-Rise-of-Record-Breaking-Botnets-and-Their-Impact-on-Global-Connectivity-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/uk_climbs_up_ddos_hit/
https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/06/uk_climbs_up_ddos_hit/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/technology/cybersecurity/ddos-deluge-brit-biz-battered-as-botnet-blitzes-break-records/ar-AA1VPDFO
Published: Wed Feb 18 05:39:27 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
