Cybersecurity experts expect a wave of DDoS attacks on video services and TV channel websites during the Q&A with President Vladimir Putin on December 19. This year, the attacks may become more complex due to the use of artificial intelligence by attackers and wide access to DDoS tools.
According to Mikhail Khlebunov, a representative of Servicepipe, traffic to key media resources on the day of the address may increase four to five times. This load makes the infrastructure particularly vulnerable, and additional waves of malicious traffic can cause noticeable disruptions in broadcasts and access to video. Politically motivated groups and unscrupulous competitors seeking to intercept the audience pose a threat.
The expert noted an increase in the number of attacks by approximately 15% and an increase in their complexity. This is due to the falling barrier to entry into criminal activity — there are more tools for organizing DDoS, and the scale of botnets is growing. The main new danger is the use of AI, which allows hackers to quickly analyze resources and change attack vectors in real time, transferring pulses of malicious traffic from one target to another.
DDoS is an attack in which attackers deliberately overload servers with a huge number of requests. A botnet is a network of hacked devices controlled by attackers to generate such traffic. In simple terms, it's like a crowd of people trying to enter the same door at the same time; the door will not withstand it, and the entrance will be closed to everyone.
There is already a history of such incidents in Russia. During the President's address in February 2023, the VGTRK website and the "Smotrim" platform experienced interruptions due to DDoS. Attacks were also recorded during the Q&As in 2019 and 2021. Now, the AI factor and more affordable "attack services" on the market are added to these scenarios.
