cyber printing

cyber printing

Ramil Khantimirov, chief executive officer and co‑founder of the security company StormWall, explained to socialbites.ca that when a target lacks DDoS protection, shutting down a website becomes a real possibility.

“A 1 Tbps attack can be bought for roughly $2.5k a week, yet many sites appear better protected than they actually are; even a 100–200 Mbps, carefully crafted attack can disrupt roughly 90% of targeted orders”, the expert warned.

According to Khantimirov, attack prices can vary widely. Denis Kuskov, chief executive of the Telecom Daily analytical agency, told socialbites.ca that the typical cost of DDoS assaults runs into several thousand dollars.

He added that the only thing closely matching that amount is the use of cryptocurrency to settle such transactions. “Costs rise significantly when defending resources that are more securely protected,” Kuskov noted.

The StormWall leader also cautioned that even the protections relied upon for defense can themselves become targets of attacks.

“Everything hinges on how the connection is configured and how filtering is applied. If the protection is connected poorly, it is often enough to purchase a cheap proxy list for a few dollars to enable a successful attack”, Khantimirov elaborated.

Format changes

In earlier times, DDoS attacks were aimed specifically at harming a person or organization, Kuskov explained to socialbites.ca.

“But now they are global in scope. Instead of focusing on one target, attackers strike large platforms and institutions, including major media outlets and banks”, the Telecom Daily head stated.

According to Ramil Khantimirov of StormWall, today it is possible to disrupt a competitor’s site with only minimal technical know‑how.

“There are many ready‑made DDoS tools available in the public domain”, he noted.

The expert observed that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide participate in groups backing DDoS campaigns under the banner of the Ukrainian IT Army.

“They are being trained to conduct independent attacks, which will push numbers higher in both the short and long term”, Khantimirov added.

StormWall estimates that DDoS attacks commonly exceed 1 Tbps today. In December 2021, the company’s experts documented sustained botnet assaults reaching 1.2 Tbps.

DDoS as a service

Shortly after, information security company Netscout reported that cybercriminals are increasingly using DDoS attacks as intimidation tools.

It is noted that DDoS attacks have become cheaper. Experts say that many services offering paid DDoS support include free basic attack trials as bonuses.

Netscout examined 19 such services. Some even provide a five‑day trial for $5. A full‑scale attack involving one hundred simultaneous strikes is estimated at $6.5 thousand.

In 2021, cybercriminal groups such as REvil, BlackCat, AvosLocker, and Suncrypt used DDoS tactics to extort victims.

Khantimirov believes the report does not capture emerging trends in DDoS activity.

“There is a steady rise in attacks driven by cheaper methods of execution, compounded by a sharp uptick in activity amid the current global political climate”, he stated.

Kuskov warned that attempting to use such services, including to target business rivals, is a criminal offense.

“For example, in a bidding scenario aimed at disabling an opponent and securing a win, even a one‑off use qualifies as a criminal act”, he noted.

DDoS attacks are illegal under Russian law. In 2021, Russia reported approximately 518,000 cybercrimes. Criminal cases may also be opened for activities involving hacking, fraud, and online gambling.