Russian Universities Under Siege: Wave of DDoS Attacks Hits Websites Before Admissions

Cybersecurity experts from Solar have reported a significant increase in DDoS attacks targeting the websites of federal universities in Russia since mid-May 2024. Compared to May 2023, the number of attacks has risen 2.5 times, and is four times higher than at the end of April this year. It appears that cybercriminals are attempting to disrupt high school graduates as they try to choose universities for further study.

The surge in DDoS attacks is linked to the high traffic on university websites right before the start of the admissions campaign. This tactic is typical for hackers—they often target the online resources of key organizations during periods of mass sales, national holidays, and major political events, aiming to disrupt important online services and provoke negative public reactions.

According to Solar, the average duration of a DDoS attack on universities is just 5.6 minutes. This suggests that attackers do not spend much time on a single institution and, if the university has adequate protection, quickly move on to attack other, less protected organizations. However, the longest recorded attack lasted over an hour.

The company predicts that DDoS attacks on the education sector will continue until the end of the admissions campaign, with cybercriminals repeatedly attempting to prevent graduates from submitting their applications to universities.