Cloudflare Blocks the Largest DDoS Attack Ever Recorded
Cloudflare has blocked the largest DDoS attack ever recorded, with a peak of 37.4 terabytes of data launched in just 45 seconds against a single hosting provider. This attack surpassed all previous records, reaching a traffic rate of 7.3 terabits per second and affecting over 21,900 destination ports on a single IP address. And no, you don't need to be a cybersecurity expert to understand the magnitude of this attack! 🌐
A Data Avalanche to Saturate Servers
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks use networks of compromised devices to saturate servers with large amounts of data, preventing services from functioning correctly. In this case, the majority of the traffic (99.996 percent) was generated using UDP packets, a type of attack that floods the server with fake requests that cannot be processed in time.
Amplification and Reflection Tactics, Combined with Obsolete Tools
The remaining small percentage of the attack employed reflection and amplification techniques, using misconfigured devices to multiply the data volume and redirect it to the victim. Obsolete diagnostic tools were also used to send multiple automatic requests to the target IP, generating additional network overload.
A Global Network of Compromised Devices
The attack originated from 161 countries, with almost half of the traffic coming from IP addresses located in Brazil and Vietnam. Another third was traced back to Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Thailand, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. Far from being an operation coordinated by global hackers, most of the devices involved were equipment infected with malware and turned into silent bots.
Cloudflare Responds with Distributed and Intelligent Mitigation
The defense was achieved by distributing the traffic load to data centers close to the origin of each packet. Furthermore, Cloudflare applied detection based on fingerprints of the malicious packets, which allowed for accurate distinction between legitimate and harmful traffic without affecting the service.
This episode reinforces the growing threat of large-scale DDoS attacks, and the critical need for advanced defense systems to protect global digital infrastructure. So stay alert and protected in the digital world! 🔒
With this block, Cloudflare demonstrates its ability to protect against the largest DDoS attacks. And remember, if something doesn't go as expected, you can always blame the hackers! 😉