NETSCOUT’s report explains how e-retailers can mitigate increasing cyber risks ahead of Black Friday and festive shopping season

For online retailers operating within the UK and Ireland, this year’s Black Friday and holiday shopping period are expected to be greatly affected by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. This puts significant pressure on businesses who rely on this time of year to generate or boost their annual profits.

Cybercriminals are adding further pressure to e-retailers by continuing to take advantage of the growth in online shopping and digital transactions. Amongst the types of attacks being launched by threat actors are distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which are intended to overwhelm a target’s online services.

Most targeted countries

Indeed, according to NETSCOUT’s 1H 2022 DDoS Threat Intelligence Report, attackers are further emboldened in their cybercriminal efforts by newly established motivations, vectors, and attack methods. Compared to other European countries observed, the UK and Ireland were both among the most targeted countries by DDoS attacks within the first half of 2022.

The UK experienced an average of 743 attacks per day between January and June 2022

The UK experienced an average of 743 attacks per day between January and June 2022. In the same period of time, Ireland faced an average of 284 attacks daily – a 118 per cent increase from the last six months of 2021.

Findings also indicate that e-commerce was the third most targeted sector by DDoS attacks within Ireland. On a global scale, e-commerce remains within the top 10 most targeted sectors.

Circumventing online defences

Fortunately, the e-commerce sector was targeted less at the tail end of the pandemic, compared to 2H 2021. However, DDoS activity still poses significant risks to businesses as cybercriminals have become more sophisticated at circumventing online defences.

Richard Hummel, threat intelligence lead for NETSCOUT, comments on how digital retailers throughout the UK and Ireland can defend themselves from DDoS attacks ahead of this Black Friday and Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday shopping period.

He said, “The global threat landscape is becoming increasingly more complex, so it is not a matter of if an attack will occur, but when. With the run-up to Christmas being the peak trading period for retailers, they are under immense pressure during this time to prevent costly downtimes, financial losses, and reputational damages.”

Robust threat intelligence solutions

This will allow online services to go virtually undisturbed in the event of a DDoS attack"

Richard Hummel adds, “From a cybersecurity perspective, digital retail businesses have been some of the most targeted by DDoS attacks, so it is vital that they ensure their cybersecurity strategy is robust, and up to date with current threats.”

He continues, “To successfully mitigate emerging risks, businesses should consider investing in modern, robust threat intelligence solutions that can help mitigate a variety of cyberthreats, including DDoS attacks. Additionally, businesses should test their online infrastructure regularly to ensure that any changes to critical digital components are incorporated into an established DDoS defence plan. This will allow online services to go virtually undisturbed in the event of a DDoS attack.”

Unfamiliar cyberthreat landscape

Richard Hummel said, “Lastly, organisations should also consider utilising the expertise of an on-demand DDoS attack specialist before attempting to navigate the unfamiliar cyberthreat landscape.”

He adds, “Departments, businesses, and key stakeholders can greatly benefit from an expert, especially during a DDoS attack. Only by properly implementing these strategies can online retailers within the UK and Ireland significantly decrease the impact of DDoS attacks on their digital operations ahead of the holiday season.”