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.