Record-breaking 5.6 Tbps DDoS attack and global DDoS trends for 2024 Q4

This post details the analysis of DDoS attack trends for Q4 2024 and the year as a whole, highlighting a record-breaking 5.6 Tbps attack. It provides technical insights into the volume and types of DDoS attacks mitigated, including Layer 3/4 and HTTP attacks. Specific contributions include the breakdown of HTTP attack vectors, analysis of commonly abused user agents (e.g., HITV_ST_PLATFORM, hackney), and examination of HTTP attributes like methods (HEAD, DELETE) and paths (/wp-admin/) that are disproportionately used in attacks. It also details the top Layer 3/4 attack vectors (SYN flood, DNS flood, UDP floods) and the emergence of vectors like Memcached DDoS attacks. The post emphasizes the role of Cloudflare's autonomous defense systems and its unique vantage point from its global network in detecting and mitigating these threats.