6bn+ cyber attacks recorded in 2016, according to NTT Com report
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6bn+ cyber attacks recorded in 2016, according to NTT Com report

More than six billion cyber-attacks were attempted in 2016, according to figures from NTT Communications, as record numbers of consumers used online services for commerce, news and OTT video entertainment.

NTT Security recorded the attacks on its client networks spanning six continents, with DDoS attacks up 172% year on year, according to figures from Cisco.

“Through the first half of 2017 we’re seeing an increased demand for network security – especially for services that allow for more proactive and robust defenses against DDoS attacks,” said Michael Wheeler, executive vice president of NTT Communications Global IP Network at NTT America. 

NTT Com also found that one third of businesses and organisations globally have developed some sort of formal incident response plans to deal with the growing threat of cyber-attacks.

“In previous years, many businesses and organizations viewed these types of protections as ‘optional’ where, today, they are viewed as ‘must haves’.”

The figures were released as the carrier, which owns and operates one of the world’s largest IP backbones, released a report on the Top Internet Trends.

NTT Com also found that a surging demand for over-the-top (OTT) video services from providers such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime is driving the need for point of presence (PoP) instalments in smaller markets.

To avoid delays, many global corporations – especially Internet-centric businesses in areas such as e-commerce, gaming, social media and OTT – and even large-scale government agencies are setting-up installations closer to the edge.

Wheeler added: ““If data only resides in big tier-1 markets, there are hundreds of millions of users around the world that are far away from that data. 

“This is particularly important in Latin America, Asia and Africa. If all the data in Asia was stored in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, the negative impact on accessibility, latency and efficiency for consumers would be significant.”

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