DDoS attacks surge by 46% in H1 2024

A new report from Gcore reveals a large increase in Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks during H1 2024, with the number of incidents rising by 46% compared to the same period last year.

Gcore’s research shows that the number of attacks reached 445,000 in the second quarter of 2024 alone. The surge in attacks represents a 34% increase from the previous six months (Q3-Q4 2023), indicating a worrying trend.

While the volume of attacks has risen dramatically,...

14 August 2024 | Networks

Kursk region hit by cyberattack amid Ukrainian counter-incursion 

The Kursk region of Russia was hit with a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Thursday, coinciding with a counter-incursion by Ukrainian forces.

Regional officials confirmed the “massive” cyberattack in a statement, with state media reporting that government and business websites, as well as key infrastructure services, were temporarily disrupted.

Internet monitoring service NetBlocks corroborated the reports, stating that their data showed “sporadic...

9 August 2024 | Networks

Ofcom tightens rules to combat foreign scam calls

Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, has introduced new measures to protect consumers from scam calls originating overseas. The strengthened industry guidance, announced today, requires phone companies to block calls from abroad that falsely display UK landline numbers.

This move aims to tackle a common tactic used by fraudsters who 'spoof' trusted phone numbers to deceive victims. By imitating numbers from reputable organisations or government departments, scammers increase...

30 July 2024 | 5G

France hit by coordinated attacks on telecom infrastructure

France has been targeted by a new wave of sabotage attacks, this time focusing on telecom operators. The incidents occurred on Sunday night and have affected fibre optic networks across six regions of the country.

French authorities have confirmed that installations belonging to major telecom providers SFR and Bouygues Telecom were vandalised. The attacks appear to be well-coordinated, with damage reported in southern France and near the Luxembourg border, as well as in areas...

29 July 2024 | Broadband

5G and security: The dual telecoms challenges facing the new UK government

As the newly elected Labour government takes office in the UK after 14 years of Conservative rule, industry leaders are calling for urgent action on cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.

The recent high-profile cyberattacks on critical organisations like the NHS and MoD have exposed significant vulnerabilities in the UK's digital defences, prompting experts to demand a more robust approach to cybersecurity and accelerated 5G rollout.

Mark Coates, VP EMEA at Gigamon,...

5 July 2024 | 5G

Nordic satellites targeted by Russia after Sweden’s NATO accession

Swedish authorities have accused Russia of deliberately targeting the country's satellite networks with "harmful interference" shortly after Sweden's accession to NATO earlier this year.

This information comes from a previously unreported letter dated June 4, sent by the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations agency based in Geneva.

The PTS has requested that the ITU's radio regulations board address...

21 June 2024 | Hot Topics

FCC moves to strengthen internet routing security

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a proposal aimed at bolstering the security of America's networks against cyberattacks by improving internet routing security.

The new initiative mandates that ISPs produce confidential reports detailing their efforts and plans to address vulnerabilities in the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), a fundamental technical protocol used for routing information across the internet.

Under the proposal, the largest broadband...

7 June 2024 | Broadband

NATO launches hub to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure

NATO has inaugurated a specialised centre focused on the security of extensive undersea energy pipelines and cables, which are crucial for global communications, energy supply, and economic stability yet remain vulnerable to attacks.

The newly established NATO Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure (CUI) is based at NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) in Northwood, UK. The centre, which recently achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC), serves as a...

29 May 2024 | Broadband

Researchers uncover attack to ‘decloak’ VPN traffic

A novel network technique that bypasses VPN encryption has been revealed by security researchers at Leviathan Security. Dubbed "decloaking," the technique allows an attacker to force a target's traffic off their VPN tunnel by exploiting DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) functionality built into operating systems.  

The result is that the user's traffic is transmitted unencrypted, enabling an attacker on the same network to snoop on their activity—despite their...

7 May 2024 | Networks

Chinese telcos given 2027 deadline to ditch foreign chips

To reduce dependence on foreign technologies, Chinese officials have reportedly mandated the country's leading telecom operators – including China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom – to eliminate foreign semiconductors from their networks by 2027.

Beijing’s directive particularly targets chips made by American giants Intel and AMD, which have been a staple in Chinese telecom infrastructure.

Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the...

15 April 2024 | 5G