Cloudflare reported a significant increase in network-layer DDoS attacks in the third quarter of 2026, with 18.2 million attacks recorded, up 38% from the previous quarter.
The vulnerability or weakness
The attacks were largely due to short-burst, low-bandwidth DDoS attacks lasting under 10 minutes and 1 Gbps, which surged by 208%.
Earlier attacks and coverage
No earlier related attack in our archive yet.
Business impact
Businesses across various industries experienced disruptions, with potential financial losses and operational downtime. The increased attack volume also put a strain on resources and could lead to legal and reputational risks.
Industries affected
The most targeted industries included media, production, publishing, IT services, gambling, computer software, and telecommunications providers.
Users affected
Users of affected companies faced service disruptions, potential data breaches, and could experience reduced service availability. Customer trust might also be affected.
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Sources
- Cloudflare Reports 18.2 Million Network-Layer DDoS Attacks in Q3, Up 38% (The Hacker News)
