In the second quarter of 2024, DDoS attacks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region increased by 211% year-over-year, according to StormWall’s latest report. StormWall analyzed DDoS attacks against the company’s customers in MENA in Q2 2024 and shared its findings.
Hackers hit the MENA region particularly hard, StormWall experts say, with the region now ranking second globally in attack growth. This surge correlates with rising geopolitical tensions and an increase in profit-driven attacks.
In the MENA region, the financial sector has become the top target for cyberattacks, making up 38% of all incidents and seeing a 268% increase compared to last year. Cybercriminals are increasingly focusing on high-value targets for financial gain, while hacktivism is on the decline, StormWall report says.
Among the sectors, financial and payment services were the hardest hit, making up 38% of attacks and seeing a 268% year-on-year increase in DDoS traffic. The retail sector followed with 19% of attacks and a 192% increase. Government services, previously the most targeted sector, now rank third with 16% of attacks, still showing a significant 153% year-on-year increase.
Many DDoS attacks have also focused on the entertainment sector, now accounting for 10% of all attacks in MENA. Year-over-year, attacks on this industry have increased by 211%, with online gaming and streaming services being primary targets. In June 2024 alone, attacks on the gaming industry rose by 62%. According to StormWall experts, this spike puts the Esports World Cup in the UAE, running from July 3 to August 25, at risk, with attacks likely to increase during the tournament.
Technically, attackers diversified their methods in Q2 2024, leading to a rise in sophisticated techniques. Carpet bombing attacks surged by 192% compared to the previous quarter, while DNS-based attacks rose by 68% and UDP flood attacks increased by 37%.
Breaking down the attacks by country, the United Arab Emirates experienced the highest number of attacks (27%), followed by Saudi Arabia (14%) and Kuwait (12%), as attackers hit countries with the largest economies and rapidly developing digital infrastructure.
Overall, the shift towards more profit-driven attacks has made the DDoS landscape in MENA even less predictable, according to StormWall experts. Unlike hacktivists, who mostly target government services, profit-driven criminals can attack any industry at any time. The best defense is to seek reliable DDoS protection in advance.
