On October 1st, 2024, CDNetworks successfully mitigated a massive-scale DDoS attack targeting a browser game platform with a large user base in Southeast Asia. The attack spiked to 1.24 Tbps on the network layer and surpassed 1 million QPS on the application layer.

With our AI-powered security platform, we quickly mitigated the attack, preventing service downtime and ensuring an uninterrupted gameplay experience for the platform’s users.

Let’s take a closer look at the details of this attack:

Anatomy of the Attack

Since September 2024, this gaming platform has been under continuous DDoS attacks. In the beginning, the attacks involved a mix of traffic types, with the peak reaching 1.24 Tbps. Fortunately, our robust DDoS defense capabilities were able to mitigate these threats quickly.

About two weeks later, the attackers adopted more sophisticated application-layer tactics, and they kept modifying their strategy, including rotating attack IPs, reducing the attack rate from individual sources, and spreading the attack across multiple targets.

On October 1st, 2024, the attack reached a new peak, hitting 1.24 Tbps on the network layer and exceeding 1 million QPS on the application layer.

CDNetworks’ Responses

No matter how attackers adapt their tactics, our security platform’s AI Central Engine can adjust defense strategies automatically and dynamically within seconds. This capability ensures the origin server remains stable and maintains an uninterrupted gaming experience for end users.

Here’s a timeline showing how CDNetworks handled one of the attacks on October 1st:

The Rise of Low-and-Slow DDoS Attacks

Over the past two years, our security platform has seen a decline in large-scale volumetric attacks, while low-and-slow application-layer attacks emerging as a greater threat. This shift is particularly noticeable in the gaming and e-commerce industries in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.

How CDNetworks Can Help

Low-and-slow DDoS attacks often target API endpoints, sending only a small number of requests at a very slow rate. This makes it difficult to distinguish them from normal user traffic. For organizations, the impact can be severe, including service disruptions, loss of customer trust, and even revenue loss due to operational downtime.

In the past, defending against these attacks relied heavily on security teams manually adjusting protection templates and strategies, which was both time-consuming and inefficient.

With CDNetworks, your business will benefit from a multi-layered defense strategy. Known attack vectors are immediately blocked at the edge, ensuring minimal impact on your operations. For more sophisticated threats, our platform’s AI capabilities continuously learn and adapt in real time, providing dynamic protection against new attack techniques.

Additionally, leveraging our global infrastructure with over 2,800 PoPs, 40+ scrubbing centers, and 20+ Tbps of scrubbing capacity, we deliver reliable and always-on protection to safeguard your businesses.

Protect Your Gaming Platform with CDNetworks

As DDoS attacks grow more sophisticated, staying ahead of emerging threats is essential.

CDNetworks offers a comprehensive Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) solution that leverages AI-driven technologies to proactively defend against a wide range of cyber threats, including DDoS attacks, web application vulnerabilities, malicious bot activities, and API threats. This allows you to confidently scale your gaming platform while ensuring continuous service and strong security.

Ready to safeguard your platform? Contact us today or start a free trial to discover how CDNetworks can fortify your defenses against the latest DDoS threats.