DIGITAL ATTACK MAP

Google Ideas, 2013

Network attacks through brute force

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks are not a new phenomenon: the first was recorded in the late 1990s. DDoS attacks are online invasions that employ a network of infected machines to target websites and servers with multiple repeated requests, causing them to buckle under the pressure. DDoS attacks are perpetrated against multinational corporations, political administrations and individuals, and can cause heavy personal and financial losses. Jigsaw, Google’s Big Picture Group, and security experts Arbor Networks, Inc. teamed up to create the Digital Attack Map as a way to visualise in real time these elusive attacks as they are carried out across the globe. This data visualisation allows us to understand trends and patterns over time, though the controversial nature of these online threats is perhaps more difficult to outline.