How chaos engineering can improve DDoS protection

According to ITWeb, the annual cost of cybercrime to the South African economy is estimated to be R2.2 billion. Businesses of all sizes are susceptible to attacks like Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) due to the ongoing evolution of these threats. DDoS attacks can overload a server or network with fake traffic and can potentially destroy online services.

A new approach to DDoS protection is starting to increase in popularity; chaos engineering is proving to be an effective technique for improving DDoS defence and bolstering cyber attack resilience. But how does chaos engineering work and where did it come from?

It’s a process of purposefully causing controlled breakdowns in a system in order to find its vulnerabilities and strengthen its resistance. Chaos engineering was developed by Netflix in 2010 in response to the company's requirement for a reliable and scalable infrastructure to serve its quickly expanding streaming service.

With proactive fault injection and simulation of real-world interruptions, Netflix engineers could see problems early on and fix them before they affected the user experience. This same principle is now being used to improve DDoS protection software and ensure that potential weaknesses are found before they are exploited.

DDoS attacks and chaos engineering

DDoS attacks on African companies are increasing year-on-year as it’s a relatively easy way to take down a computer network and disrupt operations. The enormous amount of traffic generated during a DDoS attack can easily overwhelm conventional security software, such as firewalls.

Chaos engineering can bolster DDoS protection by finding system weaknesses and bottlenecks that could be exploited by attackers. This makes it possible to put proactive mitigation plans into action before genuine threats take place. Chaos engineering can also be used to test a system's ability to scale up or down in response to abrupt traffic changes.

This guarantees that the security system can endure the excessive traffic and recover quickly. IT teams need to incorporate a culture of readiness for threats. Chaos engineering and DDoS attack simulation can improve recovery methods and the teams’ ability to react quickly and effectively.

Working with a reliable DDoS protection provider

Comprehensive cyber security solutions that are developed for the unique needs of enterprises are essential. Effective defence means working with a reputable cyber security provider with the skills, expertise and technology to combat the intricacies of DDoS attacks.

A great security partner should offer a multi-layered approach that combines network security solutions, physical security measures, and advanced threat detection technology. They should also offer up-to-date threat intelligence software and round-the-clock monitoring of your IT systems. This ensures proactive security and early detection of possible attacks.

SEACOM provides enterprises with an advanced service called DDoS Protect. This is a fully managed, automated solution that’s backed by global threat intelligence. It detects and mitigates sudden attacks and helps to minimise the impact of DDoS threats. We also provide constant monitoring and support for our clients.

We use the latest technologies to guarantee the protection of your IT network and infrastructure. SEACOM will test your systems proactively to find weaknesses that could be exploited and repair them before this happens. We are dedicated to giving you the resources and solutions you need to protect your IT infrastructure from cyber attacks and maintain business continuity.

Don’t fall victim to DDoS attacks and other cyber threats. Using techniques like chaos engineering and working with a reputable IT security provider can ensure you’re ready for any eventuality. For more information about our various cyber security solutions or to get a quote, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.

SEACOM owns Africa’s most extensive network of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, including subsea cables and secure internet connections. We offer a diverse range of flexible, scalable and high-quality solutions for businesses that meet world-class standards for connectivity.

SEACOM is privately owned and operated, making it agile and adaptable to the needs of the customer. This makes us the preferred ICT and internet connectivity partner for African businesses and peripheral service providers. We can guarantee high-speed, low-latency and secure internet connections to corporates and small enterprises.

For‌ ‌more‌ ‌information‌ ‌on‌ our ICT solutions, ‌follow‌ ‌us‌ ‌on‌ ‌‌LinkedIn‌,‌ ‌‌Facebook‌ ‌or‌ ‌‌X.‌ ‌Keep‌ ‌an‌ ‌eye‌ ‌on‌ ‌our‌ ‌‌news‌ ‌section‌‌ ‌for‌ ‌insightful‌ ‌articles‌ and relevant news stories on African ICT, internet connectivity and our leading cloud and security solutions.