DDoS attacks in Russia surge 73% in six months — and it's all about money

StormWall, a company that develops solutions for protecting businesses against modern cyber threats, has published an analysis of DDoS attacks in Russia for the first half of 2026. The researchers found that the number of DDoS attacks in the country increased by 73% compared to the same period in 2025. StormWall's representatives shared the findings with CNews.

The key difference between the Russian and global landscapes is the motivation behind the attacks. Globally, the number of DDoS incidents grew by 103% year-over-year, which analysts attribute primarily to a significant escalation of geopolitical tensions around the world. In Russia, however, the vast majority of attacks were carried out by hackers seeking commercial gain, while attacks linked to geopolitical changes accounted for only a minimal share.

Three industries bore the brunt of the onslaught in Russia. The telecom sector was hit hardest, accounting for 34% of all attacks in the country, followed by the financial industry with 26% and the entertainment sector with 14%. The growth rates also varied by industry: attacks on telecom companies rose by 68%, on financial organizations by 54%, and on entertainment companies by 36% compared to the first half of 2025.

Telecom operators, cloud providers, and entertainment companies faced an especially severe threat — they had to withstand a large flow of DDoS attacks with power exceeding 2 Tbps, which peaked at 3.5 Tbps. A wave of devastating DDoS attacks against banks and payment systems caused serious disruptions in their operations and made their services unavailable to users.