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Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) cyberattacks in the Kingdom accounted for 16% of the total incidents across MENA in 3Q, up from 14% the previous quarter, according to a report (pdf) by Slovakia-based cybersecurity provider StormWall. The rise in share of DDoS cyberattacks makes Saudi Arabia the second-most targeted country in the region, following the UAE, which took 31% of attacks. Israel rounded out the top three with 14% of incidents in the region.
The firm pinned the increase on the Kingdom’s growing economic footprint and geopolitics, with attackers targeting digital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and across the region either to extort payments from affected businesses or as part of “hacktivist” political statements.
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SOUND SMART- A DDoS attack can be likened to a virtual traffic jam, whereby malicious actors overwhelm a network, server, or website with traffic making it unavailable to users. This flood of data is typically generated by a network of compromised devices, known as botnets, which can include anything from computers to IoT devices such as smart thermostats or Wi-Fi routers that have been infected with malware.
The Kingdom saw the largest number of hacktivist attacks targeting government services, with their volume up 80% q-o-q, as pro-Israeli hacker groups zeroed-in on Saudi after the country’s leadership called for a multinational coalition to back Palestinian statehood. Pro-Palestinian groups hit back, targeting media and financial sector organizations in Israel and the UAE.
Zooming out: DDoS attacks in the MENA region climbed by 238% y-o-y in 3Q, with botnet size swelling four times over the year to an average of 28k devices. These expanded networks led to more potent strikes, including a 1.5 tn bits per second (Tbps) assault on an unnamed UAE-based bank that involved 30k hijacked devices.
The region’s financial services and payments sector continued to bear the brunt of attacks, with incidents up 284% y-o-y and accounting for 42% of all attacks, the report said. Attacks on entertainment followed, growing 237% y-o-y and representing 21% of MENA’s total as cybercriminals targeted events and gaming platforms, disrupting everything from live streams to ticket sales. Meanwhile, the government sector saw its attacks increase 162% y-o-y, representing 10% of regional attacks in the third quarter.
