Following Google’s launch of Project Shield to protect against DDoS attacks, David Emm principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab have the following comments on it.
David Emm, Principal Security Researcher Kaspersky Lab:
Google’s launch of Project Shield to protect against DDoS attacks highlights the capability for businesses to guard against such attacks, or risk financial loss, severe reputational damage, and possibly the loss of valuable customers.
DDoS attacks are nothing new; they’ve been a threat for many years and are one of the most popular weapons in a cybercriminals’ arsenal. However, we’ve noticed attacks have become persistent and sometimes against the same organisations. In fact, Kaspersky Lab found that in 2015, one in six (16%) companies worldwide suffered a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, with the attack rate rising to one in four (24%) for enterprises.
The problem is that today DDoS attacks can be set up cheaply and easily, from almost anyone, whether that be a competitor, a dismissed employee, socio-political protesters or just a lone wolf with a grudge. In fact, although the cost to businesses from this kind of attack is on average around £291,000, the simplest DDoS attack can be acquired for only £32.30 and ordered anonymously. As a result, the volume of attacks has rapidly increased in recent years, so it’s imperative that businesses find an effective way to safeguard themselves from such attacks in 2016.
Companies can do this by partnering an internal specialist with an internet provider, to actively filter and weed out these types of crude attacks, and decrease the cost of customer protection, as well as reduce the risk of loss to the company.
David Emm is Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky, a provider of security and threat management solutions.
David joined Kaspersky in 2004. He is a member of the company's Global Research & Analysis Team (GReAT) and has worked in the anti-malware industry since 1990 in a variety of roles, including that of Senior Technology Consultant at Dr Solomon's Software, and Systems Engineer and Product Manager at McAfee.
In his current role, David regularly delivers presentations on malware and other IT security threats at exhibitions and events, highlighting what organisations and consumers can do to stay safe online. He also provides comment to broadcast and print media on the ever-changing cyber-security and threat landscape. David has a strong interest in malware, ID theft and the human aspects of security, and is a knowledgeable advisor on all aspects of online security.
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