On International Women’s Day, March 8, concerns rise about online florists in Russia facing a surge in DDoS attacks. Industry observers note that cybercriminals often increase activity around holidays and notable shopping periods, targeting smaller e commerce sites that may not have robust protection. An industry executive emphasized that the pattern could involve a noticeable uptick in malicious traffic and service disruption during this time, potentially affecting customer access to product catalogs and checkout processes.
Historical observations show that DDoS activity can vary from day to day. In some years, online stores experienced a measurable rise in attack volume on key weekdays near March. For instance, a specific expert described a 19% jump in DDoS events on a Tuesday compared with the prior week and a 28% increase on the following Wednesday versus the previous week. Projections for subsequent years suggested that midweek and late-week days around March could see elevated activity, with some forecasts predicting a 20 to 25 percent rise on a Thursday and a peak on the Friday around March 8. These patterns underscored the likelihood that attackers would concentrate efforts around high traffic periods when holiday shopping intensifies.
The primary targets in such spikes tend to be small online stores that lack advanced defensive measures. Sectors most affected often include flower shops, cosmetics outlets, electronics and jewelry retailers, as well as logistics providers responsible for delivering goods. When a site experiences a DDoS incident, customers may face difficulties loading product pages, selecting items, and completing payments. Delivery scheduling can also be disrupted, compounding reputational and financial losses for retailers who depend on smooth online operations to meet customer demand.
Experts warn that periods of abnormal attacker activity are typically short-lived. After these peak windows, normal traffic levels are expected to resume within a short span, with daily DDoS counts gradually returning to baseline values. Retailers are advised to review their security arrangements in anticipation of such events, ensuring layered protection, rapid incident response, and clear communication strategies to minimize customer impact should an attack occur.
In addition to DDoS-related concerns, warnings have been raised about fraud schemes that present fake banking sites or phishing attempts around busy shopping periods. Consumers are urged to verify site authenticity, use trusted payment methods, and remain vigilant for suspicious links or requests for sensitive information. Keeping software up to date and employing reputable threat monitoring can help reduce risk during periods of heightened online activity and holiday demand. The overarching message is that preparedness matters—small businesses can lessen disruption and protect both revenue and trust by combining technical defenses with informed, proactive customer support. (Source: StormWall)”