Richard Clarke, a former White House cyber security adviser, coined the acronym CHEW to refer to the four main types of cyber threats to think about when it comes to DDoS attack protection: crime, hactivism, espionage, and war. These four main cyber threats are defined below:
Cybercrime
Criminal attacks are typically motivated by money. Cybercrime groups are large in number and are present everywhere around the globe. These cyber threats have prompted banks and other financial institutions to enhance their DDoS attack protection.
Espionage
These attacks are aimed at acquiring secrets to support national security or obtain economic benefit. These type of cyber threats mean that vertical markets like government and others will continue to face a high risk of DDoS attack threats and will need
DDoS protection.
Hacktivism
Hacktivists are primarily motivated not by money but by a desire to protest or seek revenge against an entity. The large number of hacktivist groups are led by a few individuals who possess advanced skills and motivate larger sets of followers. With these cyber threats lurking no organization is safe from a DDoS attack unless they have the proper
DDoS protection.
War (Cyber)
The fourth and arguably most nefarious type of attack, cyber war is motivated by a desire to destroy, degrade, or deny. A growing number of countries, along with many non-state actors, seem poised to launch cyber-attacks which means DDoS protection is imperative.
The threats are real, and the challenges complex. In many cases, organizations face threats from all four of these types of cyber threats, making the need for sound cybercrime and
DDoS mitigation strategies even more critical.