A sharp rise in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attempts against online retailers in Russia was observed on March 8, 2024. The incidents on that single day were three times higher than the number recorded on the same date in 2023, according to information provided to socialbites.ca by StormWall’s press service.
Most of the March 8 events targeted e commerce platforms, with hacktivist groups steering a substantial portion of the activity. Their aim appeared to be causing disruptions that would translate into significant financial losses during a period when holiday-related shopping spikes typically drive higher demand and turnover. In several cases, attackers also appeared to stem from rival business interests seeking to undermine competitors.
Industry analysis shows a clear concentration in certain sectors. Floral retailers faced the largest share of incidents, representing about 63 percent of the total. Online cosmetic shops were not far behind, accounting for around 18 percent of attacks. The top three sectors were completed by electronic stores, which represented roughly 12 percent, followed by apparel and footwear retailers at approximately 6 percent.
Despite the rising frequency, the overall force of the DDoS assaults was comparatively modest. StormWall’s security team reported peak traffic levels around 9 Gbit/s, a magnitude that can overwhelm sites without robust protection. Even at these lower intensities, many businesses still suffered outages or significant performance degradation when defenses were not in place.
These events align with a broader pattern in the cyber threat landscape, where data protection and service availability increasingly hinge on proactive defense measures, rapid incident response, and resilient network architecture.
Earlier security analysts noted a related trend—a noticeable increase in the volume of leaked personal data involving Russian users. This underscores the broader risk environment, where privacy and data integrity must be safeguarded alongside uptime and service continuity.