Akamai Data Reveals Increase in Cyber Attacks Driven by Online Holiday Shopping
PR 95385
SINGAPORE, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --
-- A 15% increase in malicious botnet attacks in China during the Lunar New
Year and 150% increase in Japan over the Gregorian New Year represent surge in
attacks
Akamai Technologies, Inc.(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3468924-1&h=2981901641&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.akamai.com%2F&a=Akamai+Technologies%2C+Inc.),
the world's most trusted solution to power and protect digital experiences,
released today new data detailing the prevalence of malicious botnet attacks
during the holiday season in Asia. That data found a 15 per cent increase in
cyberattacks in China over the Lunar New Year in February 2022, showing that
cybercriminals are actively trying to take advantage of customers during
high-traffic moments.
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The uptick in attacks continues a trend that began with Singles Day, the
Chinese eCommerce festival, in November 2021, during which botnet attacks
tripled. Despite gradually declining after, attack traffic remained relatively
high through the end of the year before peaking again with the buildup of
retail traffic during the Lunar New Year. This year, the Lunar New Year
coincided with the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, further
boosting online sales and making the period more attractive for attackers.
Malicious actors operate year-round, but the high volume of traffic during
holiday periods allows them to mask their attacks more easily. Additionally,
customers are more likely to update their online shopping profiles with
up-to-date credit card information and credentials during this period,
providing a more lucrative target for attackers.
As traffic increases, attackers increase the volume of their attacks which
include scraping data, draining customer accounts, damaging site functionality
and holding encrypted data ransom – at massive cost to a business.
"Holidays represent a huge opportunity for attackers thanks to increased online
activity and security teams stretched thin," said Dr Boaz Gelbord, Akamai's
Chief Security Officer. "APAC presents a particularly enticing opportunity for
successful cyberattacks because the sheer volume of traffic gives attackers the
opportunity to gain foothold more easily and operate freely without timely
mitigation. Akamai works with customers to develop strategies that take into
account complex attack patterns and behaviors of malicious bots during the
holidays and beyond to protect brands and customer loyalty."
In Japan, Akamai research measured a 150 percent increase in malicious botnet
activity in the Japanese retail sector around the Gregorian New Year in early
January 2022. The attacks persisted for a number of weeks following the holiday
in a nearly identical attack pattern to that observed in China.
While a similar surge occurs during the high-traffic seen at the end-of-year
holidays in EMEA and the US(https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3468924-1&h=2900615935&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globenewswire.com%2Fnews-release%2F2021%2F12%2F02%2F2345011%2F0%2Fen%2FSuspected-E-Commerce-Fraud-Attempt-Rates-Between-Thanksgiving-and-Cyber-Monday-Increase-25-Compared-to-the-Rest-of-the-Year.html&a=the+US) – China and Japan present a particularly enticing opportunity for successful
cyberattacks because of the sheer volume in traffic: Retailers and eCommerce
here serve some of the largest populations in the world.
Akamai researchers monitored and analyzed underlying malicious botnets attack
data throughout APAC during the holiday period, from late 2021 to early 2022.
Akamai tracks benign and malicious bots as a proportion of internet traffic
year-round to uncover patterns in botnet activity that can provide security
teams with actionable data to incorporate into their defense.
About Akamai
Akamai powers and protects life online. Leading companies worldwide choose
Akamai to build, deliver, and secure their digital experiences — helping
billions of people live, work, and play every day. With the world's most
distributed compute platform — from cloud to edge — we make it easy for
customers to develop and run applications, while we keep experiences closer to
users and threats farther away. Learn more about Akamai's security, compute,
and delivery solutions at www.akamai.com and www.akamai.com/blog, or follow
Akamai Technologies on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contacts:
Rita Aspen
raspen@akamai.com
Ling Hui, Seah
lseah@akamai.com
SOURCE: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
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