NETSCOUT reports record DDoS attacks, warns critical infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable as defenses lag behind

New research from NETSCOUT Systems confirms that DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attacks continue to dominate the digital battlefield, posing unprecedented risks to critical infrastructure worldwide. This comes as AI integration, persistent hacktivist campaigns, and nation-state actors are increasingly weaponizing DDoS attacks. The firm also disclosed that over 8 million DDoS attacks were observed globally in the first half of this year, including over 3.2 million in EMEA alone. These attacks have evolved into precision-guided tools of geopolitical influence, capable of destabilizing critical infrastructure.

Titled ‘Digital Aftershocks: Collateral Damage from DDoS Attacks,’ the NETSCOUT report revealed several key findings. NETSCOUT observed massive global attack volumes, including more than 50 attacks exceeding a terabit per second (Tbps) and multiple gigapacket-per-second (Gpps) attacks in the first half of 2025. Notable incidents included a 3.12 Tbps attack in the Netherlands and a 1.5 Gpps attack in the U.S.

Geopolitical events triggered unprecedented DDoS activity. During the India-Pakistan conflict, hacktivist groups targeted the Indian government and financial sectors in May, while the Iran-Israel conflict generated more than 15,000 attacks against Iran and 279 against Israel in June. Also, NETSCOUT reported that botnet-driven attacks also grew more sophisticated. In March, more than 880 bot-driven DDoS attacks occurred daily, peaking at 1,600 incidents, with attack durations increasing to an average of 18 minutes.

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