Largest DDoS attack of 2025 so far was triggered by Alexander Ovechkin tying NHL Wayne Gretzky’s record

A large DDoS assault was not too long ago detected throughout a significant NHL occasion
Assault grew from 67Gbps to almost 1Tbps in twenty minutes
Multivector strike used UDP, SYN, IP, and TCP flood strategies

Cybersecurity agency Qrator Labs has claimed it efficiently mitigated the most important DDoS assault to date recorded in 2025.

The April 3 assault focused an unnamed on-line betting group, lasting round 90 minutes, beginning at 11:15 with a surge of 67Gbps, earlier than escalating sharply to 217Gbps by 11:23, and peaked simply wanting 1Tbps at 965Gbps by 11:36.

Exercise then slowly decreased to 549Gbps by 12:41, with the assault ending shortly afterwards. The DDoS assault was multivector in nature, that includes a peak of 965Gbps in UDP flood, 229Gbps in SYN flood, 214Gbps in IP flood, and 169Gbps in TCP flood.

Sporting occasions are main targets

Qrator notes that the assault occurred on the identical day that NHL star Alexander Ovechkin scored his 892nd aim, tying Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing document. Ovechkin’s achievement was seemingly the set off for the assault as the net betting sector is very susceptible throughout main sporting occasions.

The same assault sample was noticed through the 2024 UEFA European Soccer Championship, held in Germany, the place spikes in DDoS exercise additionally focused on-line betting websites.

“This new incident is a transparent reminder that main industry-specific occasions could be exploited by malicious actors. Corporations that work with them, corresponding to on-line betting platforms, should put together prematurely to defend their digital infrastructure when consideration is at its peak,” mentioned Andrey Leskin, Chief Know-how Officer at Qrator Labs.

With main sporting moments drawing large audiences on-line, betting platforms proceed to be a primary goal for coordinated assaults corresponding to this one.

Different noteworthy sporting occasions set to happen this yr, which might show to be a goal for related DDoS strikes, embody the FIFA Membership World Cup in the USA and the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.