February 2026 saw 2,681 DDoS attacks detected by the DigiCert UltraDDoS Protect platform, representing a month over month decline from January. Despite the lower total volume, the month did not reflect a weaker threat environment. Instead, February showed that malicious actors continued to operate with meaningful disruptive capability, but with a more focused and efficient attack profile. The largest DDoS attack observed still exceeded 578 Gbps and 67 Mpps, confirming that high end attack capacity remains readily available even when overall attack counts ease.
A defining feature of February activity was the degree to which it was shaped by concentrated targeting rather than broad based escalation across the month. Although the daily average was 89 attacks, most days remained below that level, with overall monthly activity heavily influenced by two major surge periods. On 13 February, the vast majority of attacks targeted a single Software/Web Services provider, and on 25 February, a similarly high concentration targeted a single Financial Services provider. This pattern is consistent with campaign style targeting, where malicious actors concentrate attacks against specific providers to maximize disruption, create operational strain, and test defensive response over a compressed period. From a business risk perspective, this means exposure is driven not only by total attack counts, but by how rapidly attack volume can be focused against critical services.
The industry and vector data reinforce this assessment. IT/Technical Services remained the most targeted industry by a wide margin, followed by Financial Services Providers and Manufacturing, indicating continued focus on sectors where disruption can create broader downstream effects. Attack activity also remained efficient and repeatable, led by Total Traffic, UDP, and IP Fragmentation. Most attacks involved a single observed vector, showing that malicious actors generally did not need highly complex tradecraft to be effective, though they retained enough diversity in vector selection to sustain pressure across different parts of the defensive stack.
From a strategic perspective, February also showed moderation in some of the most extreme categories, with both mega attacks and carpet-bombing activity declining from the prior month. However, this should not be interpreted as a reduction in risk. Overall, February reflects a DDoS landscape that remains deliberate, adaptable, and capable of generating meaningful business impact through focused campaigns.
Stats at a Glance
- Total Number of Attacks: 2,681
- Total number of hours of downtime avoided: ~ 949.33 Hours
- Number of Mega Attacks (100+ Gbps): 17
- Largest DDoS Attack (Gbps): 578.49 Gbps (a 63.29% increase compared to January 2026)
- Largest DDoS Attack (million packets-per-second): 309.58 Mpps (a 125.18% increase compared to January 2026)
- Longest DDoS Attack: 2.05 days
- Average DDoS Attack (Gbps): 3.96 Gbps (a 4.21% increase compared to January 2026)
- Median DDoS Attacks (Gbps): 0.21 Gbps (a 110% increase compared to January 2026)
- Average DDoS Attack (packets-per-second): 1,521.96 Kpps (a 55.37% increase compared to January 2026)
- Median DDoS Attack (packets –per second): 25.34 Kpps
- Average Duration: 21.25 Minutes
- Median Duration: 8.58 Minutes
- Unique vs Carpet Bombing: 83.70% Unique / 16.30% Carpet Bombing
- Top Three Industry Targeted: IT/Technical Services (56.25%), Financial Services (12.71%), Manufacturing (11.83%)
