New EfficientIP report, in partnership with IDC, shows 34% increase in DNS attacks

EfficientIP, a leading specialist in DNS security, in collaboration with IDC, has unveiled its 2019 Global DNS Threat Report, shedding light on the escalating costs and prevalence of DNS attacks. The report, based on sponsored research conducted by IDC, reveals a disconcerting 34% increase in DNS attacks over the past year, with organizations facing an average of more than nine attacks. The financial ramifications are severe, with a staggering 49% rise in the average cost of DNS attacks, reaching $1,070,000. Alarming consequences emerge, as one in five businesses suffered losses exceeding $1 million per attack, leading to application downtime for 63% of those targeted.

The study, now in its fifth year, underscores the diverse range and evolving popularity of attack types, spanning volumetric to low signal attacks. These include phishing (47%), malware-based attacks (39%), and traditional DDoS incidents (30%). The consequences of neglecting DNS security are far-reaching, leaving organizations susceptible to compromised brand reputation, financial losses, and business disruption across various sectors.

Romain Fouchereau, Research Manager European Security at IDC, emphasizes the critical importance of DNS security, stating, “With an average cost of $1 million per attack, and a constant rise in frequency, organizations just cannot afford to ignore DNS security and need to implement it as an integral part of the strategic functional area of their security posture to protect their data and services.”

DNS, being a central network foundation, plays a mission-critical role in enabling users to access daily work applications. Any impact on DNS performance can have severe business implications, as exemplified by notorious cyber attacks like WannaCry and NotPetya. The report reveals that 63% of organizations faced application downtime, 45% had compromised websites, and 27% experienced business downtime due to DNS attacks.

David Williamson, CEO of EfficientIP, acknowledges the severity of the figures while highlighting a positive shift in organizations recognizing the significance of DNS in their security strategies. Mainstream organizations are leveraging DNS as a key component of their security posture, contributing to threat intelligence, policy control, and automation to establish a robust foundation for their zero-trust plans.

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Get the IDC 2019 Global DNS Threat Report