During Black Friday, which falls on November 24, the number of DDoS attacks aimed at online stores and marketplaces in Russia is expected to rise by at least 30 to 40 percent compared with the previous year. This forecast comes from Ramil Khantemirov, the CEO of StormWall, a company that specializes in blocking DDoS intrusions, who shared the outlook with socialbites.ca.
Khantemirov notes that the current growth is driven by preparations for sales. Unlike 2022, this year has seen a decline in incidents linked to politically motivated hacktivists, while incidents carried out by traditional financially motivated cybercriminals have increased. This shift highlights a change in attacker incentives as the retail season approaches.
According to Khantemirov, the primary motive behind these attacks on retailers is financial gain. Hackers often target online stores to coerce a ransom, threatening to continue the DDoS disruption unless payment is made. Small online shops are particularly vulnerable, as they frequently lack robust protection and the capacity to repel sustained assault, the expert explained.
He added that the retail sector is a magnet for DDoS during Black Friday because the sales period boosts potential profits for attackers and for the businesses under siege. While he did not specify the exact monetary figures, Khantemirov emphasized that the requested ransoms tend to be substantial, reflecting the higher revenue opportunities during peak shopping times.
During this critical window, it is essential for retailers to ensure their online storefronts remain accessible and fully functional for customers. Any downtime can translate into lost sales, damaged reputations, and increased customer frustration, which in turn can drive shoppers to competitors.
Khantemirov also explained that retailers are grappling with a rising number of DDoS attacks as the season progresses. He observed that some business owners themselves have organized DDoS campaigns against rival retailers as a tactic to attract more customers, a troubling development that underscores the need for stronger defense measures across the industry.
Historically, attackers have exploited the limited resources and less rigorous security postures of smaller retailers. This trend underscores the importance of robust DDoS protection, traffic monitoring, and rapid incident response plans as part of a resilient e-commerce strategy. As Black Friday approaches, cybersecurity teams are urged to adopt layered defenses, including traffic filtering, rate limiting, and real-time anomaly detection to maintain service continuity and safeguard customer trust.
In summary, the Black Friday period is shaping up as a high-risk time for Russian online retailers. The anticipated uptick in attacks, driven by profit motives, stresses the critical need for proactive security measures and reliable uptime to capitalize on the biggest shopping day of the year.