No news is often good news in the cybersecurity world, so you rarely hear “success stories” related to DDoS attacks. However, DDoS attacks are thwarted on a fairly regular basis when the right security measures are in place. In fact, Microsoft reportedly stopped a huge DDoS attack in October 2021 that could have caused severe damage.
Unfortunately for Microsoft, a host of security vulnerabilities continue to plague their cloud services, which is why more people are making the switch to dedicated hosting.
More About the Attempted DDoS Attack
Microsoft Azure’s cloud-based service was hit with an attempted DDoS attack in October of 2021. According to Microsoft, the size of this attack was massive – 2.4 terabits per second. This would make it the second-largest DDoS attack ever logged, according to Catalin Cimpanu of The Record.
Microsoft reported that the attack came in a series of three waves across the span of just 10 minutes. The DDoS attack was executed using a botnet of about 70,000 devices located across the United States, Vietnam, Japan, China, and other countries.
Ongoing Vulnerabilities With Microsoft Cloud Services
Thankfully, Microsoft was able to prevent this attack from taking down its Azure servers, which would have had catastrophic consequences for its hundreds of millions of users. However, because the size and scope of DDoS attacks have grown in recent years, this doesn’t mean that Microsoft’s cloud service won’t fall victim to the next attempt.
Unfortunately, cloud-based services are frequent victims of DDoS attacks, and large cloud services like Azure are becoming huge targets. Just days after the attempted attack on Microsoft, the record for the largest volumetric DDoS attack was broken again. With this in mind, it’s likely only a matter of time before Microsoft’s cloud services are faced with an attack so large that they simply cannot stop.
Dedicated Servers: A More Secure Alternative
So, what should those using Microsoft Azure and other cloud-based services do to make sure their data stays safe? First, you can switch from cloud-based hosting to dedicated hosting. Specifically, with a dedicated server you can choose a company that provides the best security features, such as
Likewise, some dedicated server hosts – like ReliableSite – even include free standard DDoS protection with each plan. You can add more security layers by purchasing additional protection from DDoS attacks as needed.
A dedicated hosting plan can also be an excellent option for backing up data to a third-party and remote location. So, even if your files are compromised on a cloud server, you will still have copies saved and access to them on your dedicated server backup.
With DDoS attacks becoming a more significant threat across the web, you simply can’t afford to take chances when it comes to your online security. It’s time to ditch the cloud-based hosting and upgrade to a dedicated server for your own protection. ReliableSite has a wide range of hosting options available with built-in DDoS mitigation; contact us today to learn more and get started.