DDoS Attacks Surge 168% as Cyber Threats Intensify Across Networks and Applications
Event summary
- Network-layer DDoS attacks increased 168.2% year over year, with peak attack volumes reaching almost 30 Tbps.
- Web DDoS attacks climbed 101.4%, with most high-impact attacks lasting less than 60 seconds.
- Malicious web application and API transactions rose 128%, with vulnerability exploitation accounting for 41.8% of observed attacks.
- Bad bot activity increased 91.8%, fueled by generative AI tools enabling large-scale credential stuffing and account takeover campaigns.
- Hacktivist targeting remained sustained, with Europe bearing the brunt at 48.4% of all claimed attacks.
The big picture
Radware's 2026 Global Threat Analysis Report highlights a dramatic escalation in cyberattack activity across both network and application layers, driven by geopolitical conflicts and the increasing sophistication of AI-driven threats. The surge in DDoS attacks and malicious web application transactions underscores the need for organizations to adopt more resilient and automated security measures to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats. The report's findings reflect broader industry trends towards more frequent, smaller, and persistent attacks designed to evade traditional detection thresholds.
What we're watching
- Automation and AI
- How the acceleration of AI-driven bot attacks will affect the development of automated defenses.
- Geopolitical Impact
- Whether the sustained hacktivist targeting will continue to escalate geopolitical tensions.
- Industry Preparedness
- The pace at which organizations adopt resilient, automated defenses capable of responding in seconds.
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