NETSCOUT Systems has released its DDoS Threat Intelligence Report for the second half of 2025, revealing a surge in large-scale, coordinated cyberattacks driven by increasingly sophisticated threat actors, resilient botnets and compromised IoT infrastructure.

According to the report, more than eight million distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks were recorded globally across 203 countries and territories during the period. Some attacks reached unprecedented scale, peaking at 30 terabits per second (Tbps), signalling a new phase of hyper-scale cyber threats that continue to challenge global mitigation efforts.

The report also highlights the rapid growth of DDoS-for-hire services, which are lowering the barrier to entry for cybercriminals and enabling a wider pool of threat actors to launch attacks. This trend is increasing operational risk for enterprises and digitally connected organisations worldwide.

Beyond sheer attack volume, NETSCOUT warns that adversaries are increasingly deploying reconnaissance techniques and adaptive evasion strategies that undermine traditional defence models. The company says organisations must adopt intelligent, automated protection systems to keep pace with evolving threats.

“Threat actors identify organizations that haven’t invested in the right defenses to stay ahead of sophisticated and coordinated DDoS attacks to take down critical infrastructure,” stated Richard Hummel, director, threat intelligence, NETSCOUT. “Traditional security defenses are no longer working, and with attackers hitting new attack size and complexity ceilings, implementing automated and proactive defenses has become a business-level risk mandate – not just a technical concern for security professionals.”

The report identifies several major trends shaping the current DDoS threat landscape. Multi-vector attacks remain common, with around 42 per cent of incidents using two to five different attack methods simultaneously, and some dynamically adapting during the attack to complicate detection and mitigation.

Researchers also observed large-scale outbound attacks originating from compromised IoT devices and customer-premises equipment. In some cases, these attacks generated traffic exceeding 1 Tbps, posing potential liability, service disruption and reputational risks for broadband and mobile service providers.

Critical internet infrastructure continues to be heavily targeted, particularly services such as NTP and DNS, underscoring the need for resilient, globally distributed architectures capable of maintaining service continuity.

The report also highlights growing collaboration among threat actors. In July 2025 alone, more than 20,000 botnet-driven attacks were recorded, demonstrating how coordinated campaigns can quickly overwhelm defences and disrupt services across sectors including government, finance and transportation.

Despite international law enforcement efforts to dismantle several DDoS-for-hire platforms, hacktivist groups and botnets remain highly resilient, maintaining sustained pressure on global networks.

NETSCOUT also warns that artificial intelligence is accelerating cyberattack capabilities. Large language models are increasingly being used on dark web platforms to support vulnerability exploitation and botnet expansion, while underground forums have recorded a 219 per cent increase in discussions related to malicious AI tools.

Groups such as Keymous+ have demonstrated how partnerships between threat actors can amplify attack capabilities, with observed bandwidth capacity increasing nearly fourfold.

NETSCOUT’s intelligence is derived from direct observation of global internet traffic across its monitoring infrastructure. The company said it protects roughly two-thirds of the routed IPv4 internet space, securing network edges that carried peak traffic exceeding 800 Tbps in the second half of 2025.

During the reporting period, the platform monitored tens of thousands of daily DDoS attacks across 376 industry sectors and 12,698 autonomous system numbers (ASNs), tracking activity from multiple botnets and DDoS-for-hire services that leverage millions of compromised devices.

Read: UAE thwarts terrorist cyber attacks on vital sectors

Silal, Abu Dhabi’s agri-food and technology company, is expanding operations in Ras Al Khaimah in collaboration with the National Agricultural Center to support local farmers and strengthen national food security.

The first phase of the initiative starts on March 9 in the Al Hamraniyah area, where the partnership will work with local farms to enhance agricultural production, improve productivity, and facilitate marketing of Emirati produce.

The programme will provide farmers with technical assistance, best-practice agricultural inputs, and guidance on post-harvest handling and marketing.

A dedicated crop collection centre will also be established to streamline the receipt, distribution, and sale of agricultural products.

Contributing to broader food security goals, Silal GCEO says

Dhafer Al Qasimi, group CEO of Silal, said the collaboration aimed to empower local farmers and expand the presence of Emirati agricultural products in local markets, contributing to the UAE’s broader food security objectives.

Sultan Salem Al Shamsi, director of the National Agricultural Center, said the initiative reflects the centre’s commitment to advancing the UAE’s agricultural sector and enhancing the competitiveness and sustainability of local farming.

The partnership is part of wider national efforts to integrate production, marketing, and distribution across the UAE’s agricultural supply chains, supporting local farmers and reinforcing the resilience of the sector.

Silal is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with investments spanning Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.

Read: World food prices rebound in February, United Nations’ FAO says

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Saturday it is actively managing offshore output levels to address storage requirements amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, while its onshore operations are continuing.

“This approach preserves operational flexibility and will enable the company to resume normal operations without prolonged delay,” ADNOC said in a statement.

The war, now in its eighth day, has blocked shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway responsible for roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG supply.

Analysts have predicted the UAE and Saudi Arabia would soon have to cut output as their oil storage fills up.

ADNOC said its operations are continuing, and that it is using export capacity that bypasses the strait as well as international storage facilities to ensure supply continuity to global markets.

Saudi state oil giant Aramco is temporarily diverting some crude shipments to the Red Sea port of Yanbu to ensure supply continuity for customers unable to access the Gulf, Saudi state media said on Saturday. Reuters reported on Friday that its shipments from the Red Sea are increasing but the volumes are far from enough to offset the drop from the crisis-hit strait.

“Business units are assessing the situation on a product-by-product and transaction-by-transaction basis, considering the ongoing disruption that is affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” it said.

ADNOC has activated well-established protocols and is working closely with authorities to protect its people, assets and operations, it added.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation began cutting oil output on Saturday and declared force majeure, adding to earlier oil and gas reductions from Iraq and Qatar.

The US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it plans to deploy a maritime reinsurance programme covering up to $20bn in potential losses to help restore confidence in shipping in the Gulf region amid ongoing tensions involving Iran.

The plan, approved by US President Donald Trump, and announced jointly with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, aims to support maritime trade and stabilise international commerce by providing war risk reinsurance for vessels operating in the region.

DFC said the facility would insure losses on a rolling basis of up to about $20bn and will initially focus on coverage for hull and machinery as well as cargo.

The programme will apply only to vessels that meet specified criteria and will be implemented in coordination with the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East.

According to DFC, the agency has identified American insurance partners to support the programme and is working with the US Department of the Treasury on next steps for implementation.

Move to restore confidence in maritime trade through Strait of Hormuz

DFC chief executive Ben Black said the initiative was intended to help restore confidence in maritime trade and ensure the continued flow of key commodities through the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the reinsurance plan was designed to help move shipments, including oil, gasoline, liquefied natural gas, jet fuel and fertiliser through the waterway, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

The agency said the programme forms part of a broader effort by Washington to use DFC’s financial tools to support global trade flows and businesses operating in the Middle East during the current regional tensions.

Read: Oil spikes as Hormuz disruption rattles global markets

Indian companies have raised the prices of liquefied petroleum gas, mostly used as a cooking fuel, for the first time in about a year, as global prices surge with the US-Israel war on Iran disrupting supplies from the Middle East.

Indian Oil Corp, the country’s top refiner and LPG seller, has increased the prices of a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in Delhi by 7 per cent to 913 rupees ($9.93), according to its website.

State refiners IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp raised prices in tandem.

India, the world’s second-biggest importer of LPG, last year consumed 33.15 million metric tons of cooking gas, a mixture of propane and butane, with imports accounting for about two-thirds of LPG consumption. Middle Eastern LPG accounts for 85% to 90 per cent of those imports.

India on Friday asked refiners to boost LPG production to avoid any shortage of cooking gas in the country.

Indian companies have also raised the prices of 19-kg commercial LPG cylinders, mainly used by hotels and restaurants, to 1,883 rupees from 1,768.50 rupees.