Gaming Companies Should Be Vigilant as DDoS Attacks Increase, NETSCOUT Says

NETSCOUT, a provider of digital business services against disruptions in availability, performance, and security, has published its DDoS Threat Intelligence Report for 2023. The report highlights the dangers distributed denial-of-service attacks pose to the digital landscape.

NETSCOUT reminded readers that DDOS attacks are not a hypothetical scenario but a real and growing threat. In 2023 alone, the company observed 13,142,840 DDoS attacks – a figure representing an astronomical surge.

The prevalence of such attacks highlights the importance of proper DDoS protection, NETSCOUT said, adding that the damages of such attacks extend beyond mere inconvenience.

NETSCOUT noted that a large majority of DDoS attacks are being experienced by companies in EMEA because of the geopolitical situation. However, this doesn’t mean that people outside of that region are safe.

According to NETSCOUT, NoName057(16) was the most active cybercrime group in 2023 and was responsible for the attacks on 780 websites across 35 countries. EXECUTOR DDOS and DDOS-V2 took the next two spots after targeting 201 and 144 sites across 29 and 14 countries, respectively.  

Gaming Companies Are in Danger

While NETSCOUT noted that many DDoS attacks were politically motivated, a significant number of attacks have also targeted companies within the gambling sector. Gaming companies have become a prime target for such attacks, attracting a diverse range of threats, NETSCOUT pointed out.

Such attacks are usually motivated by monetary gain or intent to disrupt competitors. Because of the gambling industry’s reliance on digital infrastructure, companies within the sector are very susceptible to DDoS threats.

DDoS attacks in gambling often occur during online gaming companies, disrupting the customer experience and posing significant integrity problems. Sometimes, such attacks are siege-like and occur over several phases.

NETSCOUT cited a recent example of an iGaming provider that suffered a significant multi-stage attack and was eventually forced to comply with the hackers’ demands. Another company, meanwhile, experienced a volume of DDoS attacks nine times greater than the average. This figure was bolstered by the hacking efforts of players who wished to gain a competitive advantage over other players.

According to NETSCOUT, the increasing frequency and sophistication of DDoS attacks in the gaming industry underscore the need for better cybersecurity measures.

Successfully defending against such attacks requires a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy involving advanced protection measures, user awareness, and industrywide collaboration to counter the growing threat.

NETSCOUT statement

NETSCOUT concluded that the gaming industry must also curb accessibility and use of DDoS tools. To that end, operators, regulators and cybersecurity experts must work together, NETSCOUT concluded.