Microsoft Azure has successfully thwarted its largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack to date, recording an astonishing 15.72 terabits per second (Tbps). The assault, linked to the Aisuru Internet of Things (IoT) botnet, surged to nearly 3.64 billion packets per second and specifically targeted a single cloud endpoint located in Australia.
The nature of the attack comprised exceptionally high-rate User Datagram Protocol (UDP) floods directed at a designated public IP address. According to Microsoft, the attack was launched from over 500,000 individual source IPs originating from diverse geographic regions. The company highlighted that the sudden bursts of UDP traffic exhibited minimal source spoofing and employed random source ports, factors that simplified traceback and enabled effective enforcement by providers.
Fortunately, Azure’s DDoS Protection platform played a crucial role in automatically detecting and mitigating the attack. By efficiently filtering and redirecting malicious traffic, the platform ensured that customer workloads remained uninterrupted, showcasing the resilience and reliability of Microsoft’s cloud services.
This event underscores the increasing challenges organizations face regarding cybersecurity, particularly with the growing prevalence of sophisticated DDoS attacks. However, with robust protective measures in place, there is reassurance that cloud service providers like Microsoft Azure are equipped to manage and mitigate such threats effectively, safeguarding their clients’ operations.