The threat from hackers is very real and a new report shows that things are only getting worse. We recently told you about a terrifying new interactive map that shows global cyberattacks happening in real time. If that map seemed surprisingly busy to you, it’s because it is — a new study from Akamai shows that hackers attacked websites 75% more frequently in the fourth quarter last year than in the previous quarter.
The study, which was picked up on Wednesday by Engadget, covers DDoS attacks launched against websites around the world. Akamai says that business websites were the most likely targets and the odds of a repeat attack are now one in three.
A disconcerting 43% of all DDoS attacks in the fourth quarter originated in China, with the U.S. and Canada representing the No. 2 and No. 3 points of origin for attacks. Akamai notes that attacks originating in Canada were up a shocking 2,500% over the same quarter in 2012.
On the plus side, Akamai also observed that average Internet speeds were up 5.5% globally to 3.8Mbps in the fourth quarter, and Internet penetration climbed 3% over the third quarter last year.
