Behind the Scenes & in Front of the Attack: The Largest DDoS Attack on Record

It was historic, it was unprecedented, but it wasn’t unexpected. It was an attack large enough to take many countries offline, yet it was over before it ever got a chance to do harm. Engineers at Akamai’s Security Operations Command Center (SOCC) were able to knock down the largest recorded DDoS attack of 1.35 Tbps in just eight seconds.

The attack was mitigated with zero downtime to customers. SOCC practice manager gabriel Bellas explains how forward-thinking and vigilance were the keys to success.

“We knew that a big attack was just around the corner. The people on the floor wanted to get in front of it and knock it down before it happened,” Bellas said.

In this Ever-Changing Digital Ecosystem, Threats Come from Everywhere

Akamai’s Security Intelligence Response Team was able to stay a step ahead of attackers by proactively researching threats and operationalizing their findings. Mitigating attacks of this caliber takes quick thinking, too. In a moment’s notice, security engineers were tasked with determining the best tactics and mitigation strategies needed to respond to a massive cyberattack, the likes of which they had never seen before. 

No Matter the Size of Your Business, Internet Security is Serious

The internet has made the world smaller in many ways. We are more connected than ever, yet those very connections that make us more effective can also make us vulnerable to security threats and breaches. Internet security protocol is critical to the largest organizations including banks, corporations, and governments. However, cybersecurity is also critical to small businesses, midsize companies and startups. All organizations need to be prepared to recognize and react to threats from bad actors.

Wondering who these actors are and how to stop them? Roger Barranco, senior director of global security operations at Akamai, has the answers.

“The bad actors can be nation states or an irate employee. There’s no magic button that will eliminate all threats, but we’ll be there with you when they happen. Part of what makes the Akamai platform so unique is its sheer size and reach. We have well over a quarter of a million endpoints distributed around the globe, and approximately 35% of all internet traffic passes through our platform. That’s a huge advantage for us from a security and content delivery perspective, because we see real-world data,” Barranco explained.

Digital Security Has Never Been More Urgent

However, you can stay ahead of cyber-attacks with security at the edge. Akamai can protect you and make sure that you stay online, even while under a severe attack. The SOCC deals with the malicious actors and threats, so you can focus on your business, and your bottom line.