The numbers tell the story:

• $48 billion lost to online fraud and cyberattacks annually.
• 550% increase in DDoS attacks targeting e-commerce in 2024.
• 75% of customers say they would stop shopping with a brand after a cybersecurity breach.

For online businesses, e-commerce security is a revenue-critical function. A breach doesn't just expose data, but can disrupt operations, damage customer confidence and put a company's future at risk.

Cyberthreats will continue to evolve. The only way forward is a proactive, multi-layered security strategy.

Major Cyberthreats in E-commerce and How to Prevent Them

Cybercriminals are relentless, constantly evolving their tactics to exploit vulnerabilities. As an e-commerce business owner, understanding these threats helps you proactively protect your business and customers.

Hacking and Data Breaches

Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in systems to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.​

Real-World Example: In April 2024, AT&T experienced a significant data breach where customer data was illegally downloaded from a third-party cloud platform. The breach involved call and message metadata, affecting 110 million customers. Exposure of personal information led to potential identity theft and financial fraud, damaging AT&T’s reputation and customer trust.

How to Protect Your Business:

• Regular Security Audits: Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.​
• Data Encryption: Ensure that sensitive information is encrypted both in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized access.​
• Secure Third-Party Integrations: Vet and monitor third-party services to ensure they adhere to security standards.

Phishing and Social Engineering

Attackers employ deceptive tactics to trick individuals into revealing confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.​

Real-World Example: In 2023, a significant phishing scam targeted small businesses and consumers nationwide, including those in Connecticut. Scammers sent over 200 fake PayPal invoices, appearing to request payments of around $1,000, deceiving recipients into calling a fraudulent phone number. This scam disrupted PayPal operations and caused financial concerns for users. ​

How to Protect Your Business:

• Educate Employees and Customers: Conduct regular training sessions to help them recognize phishing attempts and understand the importance of not clicking on suspicious links or providing sensitive information.​
• Implement Email Filtering Solutions: Utilize advanced email filters to detect and block malicious messages before they reach the inbox.​
• Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding an extra layer of security can prevent unauthorized access, even if credentials are compromised.

Malware and Ransomware

Malicious software can infiltrate systems, leading to data theft, operational disruptions and financial losses.​

Real-World Example: In December 2024, Krispy Kreme’s online operations were disrupted by a cyber-attack, affecting its ability to process orders and potentially leading to financial losses. The company worked with federal law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to contain the situation. The attack led to operational disruptions, loss of revenue and potential reputational damage.​

How to Protect Your Business:

• Deploy Anti-Malware Solutions: Utilize reputable security software to detect and prevent malware infections.​
• Regular Software Updates: Keep all systems and applications updated to patch known vulnerabilities.​
• Implement Network Segmentation: Isolate critical systems to prevent the spread of malware within the network.

DDoS Attacks

These attacks overwhelm servers with excessive traffic, causing service disruptions and potential revenue loss.​

Real-World Example: In 2024, major U.S. broadband providers were targeted by a significant cyber-attack attributed to Chinese hackers. The breach compromised systems used by the federal government for legal wiretapping, raising concerns over potential surveillance of U.S. efforts to monitor threats. ​Service outages led to loss of revenue, decreased customer trust and increased operational costs to mitigate the attack.​

How to Protect Your Business:

• Implement DDoS Mitigation Services: Utilize solutions to detect and mitigate malicious traffic.​
• Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): Distribute traffic across multiple servers to reduce the impact of an attack.​
• Monitor Network Traffic: Continuously analyze traffic patterns to promptly identify and respond to anomalies.​

GTT DDoS Protection and Mitigation offers real-time detection and response to keep your business operational during such attacks.

Internal Threats

Risks originating from within the organization, such as employees or contractors, can lead to data breaches and system compromises.​

Real-World Example: In 2023, Tesla experienced a data breach orchestrated by two former employees who leaked sensitive personal data of over 75,000 current and former employees to a foreign media outlet. The breach led to exposure of personal information, potential identity theft and damage to employee trust and company reputation.​

How to Protect Your Business:

• Implement Access Controls: Limit access to sensitive data based on roles and responsibilities.​
• Conduct Background Checks: Perform thorough screenings of employees and contractors before granting access to critical systems.​
• Monitor User Activity: Utilize monitoring tools to detect unusual or unauthorized activities within the network.​

Essential E-commerce Cybersecurity Measures

A layered security approach provides multiple lines of defense for e-commerce businesses. If attackers break through one layer, they encounter another, reducing their chances of accessing sensitive data.

Secure Website Architecture and E-commerce Platform Safety

When sensitive data moves between a website and its users, TLS (Transport Layer Security) encryption (often called SSL/TLS) ensures data remains secure. TLS protects sensitive details like passwords or credit card numbers from interception by unauthorized parties.

A TLS certificate, often indicated by a padlock icon in the browser address bar, reassures customers that their connection is encrypted and ensures compliance with PCI DSS encryption requirements. To protect transactions, businesses should choose an e-commerce platform with built-in security measures such as HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) and automatic SSL/TLS certificate management.

Strong Authentication and Access Controls

Strong authentication and access controls protect your company’s sensitive resources.

• Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA): MFA requires users to provide at least two authentication factors: something they know (passwords or PINs), something they have (security tokens or authenticators), or something they are (biometrics like fingerprints). MFA improves security by blocking most account attacks, even if passwords are stolen.
• Using strong passwords and access control policies: Implement policies requiring long, unique passphrases rather than frequent password changes. According to NIST guidelines, mandatory password resets can lead to weaker security by encouraging predictable modifications (e.g., “Password123!” → “Password124!”). Instead, encourage employees to use password managers to generate and securely store credentials. Set up role-based access control (RBAC) or attribute-based access control (ABAC) to ensure employees can only access the data necessary for their job duties.
• Regular audits and updates: Check who can use your systems and make changes when needed. Apply the principle of least privilege (PoLP) by revoking unnecessary access and ensuring privileged accounts have additional protections, such as just-in-time (JIT) access. This helps you stay protected as new threats develop.

These measures will strengthen your security by protecting your data from unauthorized access.

Data Encryption and Secure Payment Processing

Data encryption and secure payment processing protect sensitive information as it travels across networks. Here are the key measures to implement:

• Protecting customer data from start to finish: End-to-end encryption (E2EE) ensures that sensitive data is encrypted on the sender’s device and only decrypted by the intended recipient, preventing interception.
• Following payment security rules: The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a mandatory security framework for businesses handling credit card transactions. Compliance helps protect payment data from breaches and fraud.
• Using secure payment systems: Payment gateways use tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE) to protect cardholder data. Tokenization replaces card details with a unique, non-exploitable token, ensuring that no sensitive payment data is stored or transmitted in its original form.

Encrypted communication and secure payment technologies significantly reduce the risk of credit card fraud, safeguarding both customer data and transaction integrity.

Regular Security Audits and Monitoring

Regular security audits and proactive monitoring should be conducted to keep systems safe and identify vulnerabilities before they become threats. Take these critical steps:

• Find weak spots before hackers do: Conduct penetration testing, vulnerability scans, and security assessments to uncover and remediate system weaknesses.
• Use security tools that watch for problems: Deploy intrusion detection systems (IDS), endpoint protection platforms (EPP), and web application firewalls (WAF) to detect and mitigate cyber threats in real time. Automated malware scanning and threat intelligence help guard against evolving attack methods.
• Make a plan for security incidents: Establish an incident response plan (IRP) outlining clear protocols for identifying, containing, and mitigating security breaches. To minimize downtime, include automated alerts, forensic analysis, and rapid recovery procedures.

Regular audits, continuous monitoring, and a well-defined response plan are essential to protecting e-commerce businesses from cyber threats.

How E-commerce Brands Can Protect Themselves

To safeguard brand integrity and maintain customer trust as an e-commerce business, adopt these protection strategies:

• Keep your software current: Regularly update all software, plugins, and themes to patch known vulnerabilities and mitigate security risks. Updates help protect against exploits, malware infections, and unauthorized access attempts. Outdated systems increase the risk of cyberattacks by exposing unpatched security flaws.
• Set up protective barriers: Implement firewalls, intrusion detection systems (IDS), and intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to monitor and control network traffic. Firewalls filter incoming and outgoing data to block unauthorized access, while IDS/IPS actively detect and mitigate threats before they compromise systems.
• Train your team and inform customers: Educate employees on phishing attacks, credential security, and social engineering tactics to reduce human error-related breaches. Encourage multi-factor authentication (MFA) and enforce the use of password managers to enhance security. Educate customers on secure transaction practices to help prevent fraud.
• Back up your data regularly: Use automated, encrypted backups stored in multiple locations to ensure recovery in case of ransomware attacks, accidental deletion or system failures. Regular testing of backups ensures business continuity, minimizes downtime and protects information.
• Partner with a secure web host: Choose a hosting provider that offers TLS/SSL encryption, Web Application Firewalls (WAF), malware detection, and DDoS protection. A secure hosting environment minimizes the risk of data breaches, unauthorized access and downtime due to cyberattacks.
• Meet payment security standards: When handling credit card transactions, follow PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance requirements to protect payment data. PCI compliance helps your business avoid fines or the loss of payment processing privileges. Encrypt payment data in transit using TLS and implement tokenization to minimize cardholder data exposure.

While these strategies form a solid foundation, protecting against today’s cyber threats requires continuous vigilance and proactive security measures.

Secure Your E-commerce Business with GTT

E-commerce businesses face persistent threats from cybercriminals who target them through multiple attack vectors. These attackers may attempt to compromise websites, exploit employee access, deploy ransomware or disrupt operations with DDoS attacks.

We designed our Envision platform to give you the visibility and insights needed to strengthen your e-commerce security. Our solution provides secure, low-latency connectivity that supports your unique networking and security requirements. With GTT, you gain advanced threat detection and proactive security measures to conduct business confidently while we help manage cyber risks.

When it comes to e-commerce security, global commerce brands trust GTT. Our team combines deep cybersecurity expertise, industry-leading technology, and strategic partnerships to create a robust defense against today's constantly evolving threats.

We can help you secure your e-commerce operations, maintain compliance, and improve operational efficiency. Contact us today to learn how your business can thrive with secure connectivity that keeps cyber threats at bay.

The pressure is even higher if you're in highly regulated industries like finance or healthcare. You're expected to meet strict compliance standards while defending against cyber threats-without slowing down your business.

The Cost of a Breach

When security fails, the impact is immediate. A single breach can damage your business, your reputation and your customers’ trust. In 2024, the average cost of a data breach hit $4.88 million, a 10% increase over the previous year and the highest on record. The increase in remote work has made this even more complicated, with breach costs rising to $4.96 million compared to $3.89 million in traditional setups.

If the cost of the breach is not concerning enough, most businesses required over 100 days to recover, with 70% reporting major disruptions. The takeaway is clear: you need to safeguard every connection, wherever work happens.

Cyber Risk Is a Business-Wide Challenge

Cyber risk affects more than just IT. It reaches across your entire organization, from operations to customer experience. As digital tools spread across departments and locations, more teams play a part in protecting critical data. Finance, HR, customer support-everyone relies on systems that need available and secure.

That's why cybersecurity isn't an isolated task. It's a company-wide effort rooted in strong policies, shared awareness and consistent action. GTT support that with a global platform built on one of the world's largest global IP backbones, with managed security services and trusted advisors who know how to help you adapt and grow.

Understanding the Risks: Non-Compliance and Cyber Threats

Regulatory pressure is rising. Standards like GDPR, HIPAA and PCI-DSS are there to protect sensitive data and ensure responsible practices. When those standards aren't met, the fallout can be costly and hard to recover from.

At the same time, cyber threats are becoming more targeted and harder to predict. Attacks like ransomware, phishing, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) are built to find weaknesses in modern networks. A missed update or overlooked setting can be all it takes to cause serious disruption.

Take the 2021 Colonial Pipeline incident. Attackers used a VPN account without multi-factor authentication to gain access. That breach led to a shutdown that impacted fuel supply across much of the U.S. East Coast.

This is a clear reminder that strong security isn't just about checking boxes. It's about staying ready and making sure your business can keep moving, no matter what.

How Secure Network Services Help You Reduce Risk

Effective protection starts with integration. When tools and teams are disconnected, it becomes harder to manage risk and respond to change. Secure Network Services brings everything together, allowing you to manage access, apply rules and monitor activity in one place.

This approach helps reduce complexity while making your defenses stronger and easier to maintain.

Secure Connect, SASE Solution: A Modern, Unified Framework

Secure Connect is a cloud-based service that combines essential networking and security functions into one framwork. The Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) modelbrings together SD-WAN, and secure service edge (SSE).

With this approach, you can:

• Limit internal risk through identity-based access
• Enforce Zero Trust policies across all systems
• Apply the same rules across offices, users and cloud apps
• Scan traffic across entry points, data paths and cloud environments
• Stay aligned with PCI-DSS, HIPAA and GDPR requirements

• Simplify and strengthen the network, limit exposure and support compliance across environments.

DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services: Always-On Defense

A SASE framework is not enough. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks continue to grow in frequency and scale. In Q3 2024, reported incidents jumped by nearly 50%, with sectors like banking and finance facing the brunt of the impact. These attacks can slow performance, block access to critical systems or cause you to miss service-level targets that your business depends on.

With GTT’s DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services, you can keep your network available under pressure. We scan traffic as it happens, filter out harmful activity and keep legitimate users connected without delay.

If you operate in a regulated industry, consistent availability is a must. Even short disruptions can throw off audits or delay critical processes. We help you avoid downtime and keep your operations running without interruption.

EnvisionDX: Visibility and Control at Scale

When your network spans teams, tools, and geographies, seeing the full picture is essential. EnvisionDX brings everything into one place, giving you the insights you need to act quickly and stay ahead of potential threats.

We designed our digital experience to reduce friction, helping you make informed decisions, track activity in context, and reduce time spent managing scattered systems.

With EnvisionDX, you can:

• Identify trends and security events as they happen
• Understand how policies are applied across users and locations
• Automate reporting and minimize manual overhead
• Customize dashboards to fit how your team works
• Support audits with tools built for regulatory tracking

Whether you’re navigating rapid change or planning for growth, EnvisionDX helps you lead with clarity and control.

Industries in Focus: Addressing Compliance Challenges

Different sectors face unique standards for security and oversight. Whether you're handling patient records or processing financial data, your network must support strict requirements without slowing business down. We work with regulated organizations to develop strategies that improve visibility, reduce risk and support long-term accountability.

Santé

If you work in healthcare, you need to protect patient data across hospitals, clinics, and virtual care platforms. We secure records, cloud systems, and telehealth applications to support HIPAA compliance.

With Secure Connect, you can limit access to sensitive information, apply encryption and keep detailed logs to meet reporting requirements. Our Zero Trust access model ensures only the right people reach critical systems, wherever they work.

We also help defend against DDoS attacks that could disrupt services. With immediate protection in place, your network stays responsive and compliant under pressure.

Finance

Financial institutions must meet tough standards like PCI-DSS, SEC guidance and regional banking rules. We help you protect transactions, limit fraud and maintain service availability, even during peak demand.

Our platform uses segmentation and encryption to keep customer data secure. DDoS Protection helps reduce outages that could lead to compliance issues or missed obligations.

You can apply consistent policies across branches, remote teams and cloud tools. EnvisionDX gives you real-time insight into risk status and audit readiness.

Retail and E-Commerce

Retail success depends on trust: at the register, online and everywhere in between. We help you safeguard payment systems, mobile checkouts and e-commerce platforms against evolving threats.

With Secure Connect, you can control access across stores and applications while detecting suspicious activity in real time. Our DDoS Protection and Mitigation Services helps ensure reliability during peak traffic and shields your systems from revenue-impacting disruptions.

EnvisionDX makes it easier to track events, generate custom reports and demonstrate adherence to data privacy requirements.

Take the Next Step in Security and Compliance

Your operations are evolving, and your network needs to keep up. Whether you're expanding globally, enabling hybrid work, or navigating new regulations, you need integrated solutions.

We combine secure cloud networking with global reach, local expertise and deep industry knowledge. From consultation to implementation, our managed and professional services support your business at every stage.

Here’s how we help:

• Keep operations running across remote sites and global teams
• Respond faster with threat mitigation built into the network
• Meet regulatory goals with simplified compliance workflows
• Free up your team with services that reduce day-to-day burden
• Gain visibility and control through a unified security framework

Let’s Envision Greater Technology Together. Explore GTT Secure Networking or contact our experts to get started today.

For businesses that depend on online services, the impact of a successful DDoS attack can be devastating. The solution? A proactive DDoS mitigation strategy that keeps your digital infrastructure secure and your business running smoothly.

But what is DDoS mitigation, and why is it important for your organization? This guide explains how DDoS attacks work, why they happenand how advanced DDoS mitigation services from GTT protect your business against these evolving threats.

Understanding DDoS Attacks

DDoS attacks are designed to disrupt normal network traffic by flooding a target with excessive data. This overload makes websites, applications or online services slow or become completely inaccessible to legitimate users. The impact can be devastating, leading to financial losses, productivity disruptions and lasting damage to your brand's reputation.

To effectively defend against these threats, it’s essential to understand how DDoS attacks work, why they happen and where they come from.

How Do DDoS Attacks Work?

DDoS attacks overwhelm a target by bombarding it with excessive traffic, rendering it slow or completely inaccessible to real users. Attackers typically generate this traffic, known as a botnet, and target computers, servers and even IoT devices like smart cameras or wearables.

There are three main types of DDoS attacks:

1. Volumetric Attacks (Layers 3 & 4): These consume the target’s bandwidth by flooding it with massive amounts of data, blocking access for real users. Examples include UDP floods and ICMP floods.
2. Protocol Attacks (Layers 3 & 4): These exploit weaknesses in communication protocols, overwhelming server resources and causing system crashes. An example is a SYN flood, which manipulates the TCP handshake process to overload the target.
3. Application Layer Attacks (Layer 7): These target the application layer by overwhelming specific website, service, or API functions. For example, HTTP floods mimic legitimate user requests, making them difficult to detect, and Slowloris attacks keep connections open by sending partial requests, eventually consuming server resources.

Why Do DDos Attacks Happen?

DDoS attacks are rarely random, and they’re often driven by specific motives, including:

• Hacktivism: Disrupting organizations for ideological reasons.
• Financial Gain and Extortion: Demanding payment to stop the attack.
• Competitor Sabotage: Disrupting competitors’ services for a market advantage.
• Cyber Warfare and Espionage: Disrupting infrastructure or stealing sensitive information.

Regardless of the motive, the impact can be devastating. A proactive DDoS mitigation strategy is essential to protect your business from these growing threats.

Where Do DDoS Attacks Come From?

DDoS attacks can originate from a variety of sources. Understanding how these attacks are launched is essential to identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening your defense strategy. The following are the main sources of DDoS attacks:

• Botnets: A botnet is a network of compromised devices or servers. Hackers who control them, also known as botmasters, use them to send massive traffic to a target. 

• IoT (Internet of Things) Devices: IoT devices like smart cameras, smart watches, machine sensors, and telematics systems may be insecure, making them easy to compromise and use for malicious purposes like DDoS attacks.

• Cloud and Server-Based Attacks: Attackers may exploit cloud services or compromised servers to amplify attack traffic. Cybercriminals exploiting misconfigured cloud resources to generate large amounts of malicious requests is not entirely unheard of.

• DDoS-for-Hire Services: Some websites offer “stressor” or “booter” services that allow users to pay for DDoS attacks. Although these services claim to test network defenses, they are often used for illegal attacks.

Now that you know the sources of DDoS attacks, take your time to prepare and prevent them. Updating your software regularly, for instance, is a tried-and-proven strategy to avoid botnet attacks on your website.

How Do You Prevent DDoS Attacks? How DDoS Mitigation Works

DDoS mitigation is the process of detecting, analyzing, and neutralizing DDoS attacks to minimize their impact and ensure continuous service availability. Since DDoS attacks are typically sudden and unexpected, real-time detection and response are key. The process typically has these four stages:

Stage 1: Detection

Detection involves identifying early indicators of a potential DDoS attack. If you monitor your networks continuously, you might notice sudden spikes in traffic or anomalous connection patterns. Do IPS detect DDoS attacks? Yes, but with limitations. Intrusion prevention systems can analyze traffic patterns and detect suspicious activity, but are not optimized for mitigating large-scale volumetric DDoS attacks.

At this stage, you can also consider leveraging traffic management solutions that absorb and distribute excess traffic, such as content delivery networks (CDNs) or load balancers. However, if traffic volumes remain abnormally high, these systems will trigger alerts and proceed to the next stage.

Stage 2: Analysis

This step aims to determine the nature of a DDoS attack and classify the traffic. To do that, the system analyzes incoming traffic based on IP addresses, request types, protocols, and geolocation. It can also use heuristic analysis to distinguish between legitimate users and botnet-driven attacks, segmenting them and preparing for the response phase.

Stage 3: Response

The response stage focuses on neutralizing the DDoS attack and keeping legitimate traffic flowing. Some of the mitigation methods applicable in this step are:

• Rerouting Traffic: Redirecting traffic away from your network using advanced security infrastructure.

• Blackholing: Dropping all inbound traffic to a target IP address by routing it to a null route, effectively making you unreachable. We recommend this as a last resort since you block legitimate traffic during the process.

• Scrubbing: This strategy requires you to redirect your incoming traffic to a “scrubbing” location where the system will analyze it and eliminate malicious packets. Afterward, legitimate traffic is sent to its intended target network.

• Sinkholing: This technique redirects malicious traffic to a controlled server (sinkhole) to stop it from reaching your systems. The attack continues, but instead of overwhelming your infrastructure, it is diverted to the sinkhole for capture, monitoring, and analysis.

• Bot Detection: Identifying and blocking bots based on request patterns. 

As we've seen, these DDoS response techniques work differently, and some are less effective than others. Take our advice and use multiple methods to create a layered defense system to protect your business against DDoS attacks and enhance your systems' overall resilience.

Stage 4: Adaptation

The adaptation stage strives to improve future defense mechanisms based on previous DDoS attack data. Your team should first conduct a post-attack analysis to identify attack trends and vulnerabilities. Then, update your security policies to better recognize and block future DDoS attacks.

How Do You Prevent DDoS Attacks?

Whether you manage DDoS protection in-house or use a third-party mitigation service like DDoS Protection and Mitigation from GTT, following the best practices is essential to fortify your defenses and protect your network. Il s’agit notamment de :

• Implement Strong Network Security Measures: A robust network security foundation creates the first line of defense against DDoS attacks. Invest in firewalls to block malicious traffic before it reaches your systems and Intrusion Prevention Systems to detect and stop known attack patterns automatically.
• Leverage Traffic Analysis & Anomaly Detection: Real-time traffic analysis helps detect unusual patterns suggesting a potential DDoS attack. One key method to apply here is behavioral analysis, which establishes normal traffic patterns and flags deviations. Consider AI-driven detection tools as well. Most use machine learning (ML) to spot complex attack signatures. At the same time, add flow-based monitoring to your list, as it can examine packet headers to detect volumetric attacks.
• Use Rate Limiting & Connection Throttling: Controlling request rates and connection concurrency helps mitigate DDoS attacks by preventing resource exhaustion. Rate limiting restricts the number of requests per second from a single source, while connection throttling caps the number of simultaneous connections per IP to prevent service overload. For example, an API gateway can enforce request limits and deny excessive traffic, reducing the impact of HTTP flood attacks on your infrastructure.
• Implement Load Balancing & Anycast Routing: Distributing network traffic across multiple servers and data centers helps absorb attack volumes. Load balancing, for instance, allows you to spread traffic across many servers to prevent overload. With Anycast routing, your team can redirect traffic to the nearest data center, reducing congestion and preventing a DDoS attack.
• Block Malicious Traffic with IP Reputation & Geo-Blocking: Filtering traffic based on IP reputation and geographical origin effectively reduces DDoS risk. IP reputation databases help block known botnets, malware-infected hosts, and high-risk IP addresses associated with malicious activity. In addition, geo-blocking can restrict traffic from regions commonly linked to DDoS attack sources. However, attackers often bypass these controls using VPNs, proxies, and compromised hosts, so geo-blocking should be part of a layered security strategy rather than a standalone solution.
• Maintain Redundancy & Scalability: A redundant and scalable infrastructure ensures business continuity during DDoS attacks. Get quality cloud-based infrastructure, like auto-scales, to absorb attack traffic. Moreover, there’s no harm in creating multiple data centers to distribute traffic across multiple geographic locations. For example, the right cloud auto-scaling software can handle large spikes in traffic without performance degradation.
• Keep Software & Systems Updated: Regularly updating firewalls, operating systems, and security tools helps prevent DDoS attackers’ exploitation. Patch management lets your team fix vulnerabilities early, safeguarding your digital infrastructure. To strengthen your hardware security and prevent network-layer attacks, schedule firmware updates weekly, monthly, or quarterly based on factors such as risk level.
• Develop an Incident Response Plan (IRP): A well-defined Incident Response Plan (IRP) ensures a swift and effective response to DDoS attacks. Ideally, your plan should incorporate predefined escalation procedures for IT and security teams, automated failover systems to reroute traffic during a DDoS attack, and post-attack analysis to improve your defenses against similar threats.

How DDoS Mitigation from GTT Protects Your Business

GTT offers advanced DDoS protection and mitigation services designed to protect your business against evolving cyber threats. Here’s how GTT stands out:

Real-Time Monitoring and Detection

• Using machine learning and AI-driven detection systems, GTT provides continuous traffic inspection to detect abnormal patterns.
• Our monitoring system differentiates between legitimate users and attack traffic, preventing false positives and ensuring proactive defense.

Advanced Mitigation Techniques

• Traffic Scrubbing: Redirects incoming traffic to scrubbing centers, filtering out malicious packets.
• Sinkholing and Blackholing: Stops malicious traffic from reaching your network without affecting legitimate users.
• Bot Detection: Identifies and blocks bots based on request patterns and behavior analysis.

Global Reach and Proven Expertise

• GTT operates 10 global DDoS scrubbing centers and mitigates over 1 million cyberattacks monthly, ensuring enterprise-grade security and availability.
• Our solutions are backed by a top-tier global IP backbone, delivering secure, reliable connectivity.

Why Choose GTT for DDoS Mitigation?

• Comprehensive Protection: GTT offers layered defense mechanisms to neutralize DDoS attacks at every stage.
• Scalable Solution: Our cloud-native infrastructure scales in real time to handle the largest volumetric attacks.
• Unmatched Expertise: With 20+ years of experience and 2,000+ security certifications, GTT delivers trusted and reliable security solutions.

Secure Your Business With DDoS Mitigation From GTT

DDoS attacks can disrupt operations, damage reputations, and cause financial losses. However, you can ensure business continuity and safeguard your digital infrastructure with a proactive defense strategy and the right partner.

GTT is your trusted ally in cybersecurity. We provide advanced DDoS mitigation services to protect your network, applications, and online services. Our solutions combine real-time monitoring, AI-driven detection, and layered mitigation techniques to keep your business secure.

Ready to defend your business against DDoS attacks? Talk to our experts today and learn how you can benefit from our DDoS mitigation services.

But how can you ensure your SD-WAN is performing as it should? By tracking the right performance metrics. Metrics like latency, jitter, and packet loss help you identify and fix problems before they impact user experience or productivity.

In this blog, we’ll discuss the essential SD-WAN performance metrics to monitor, share best practices for maintaining network health, and show how our Managed SD-WAN solutions empower enterprises to optimize performance easily.

Key SD-WAN Performance Metrics to Monitor

SD-WAN metrics provide valuable insights into your network's health and efficiency. Tracking these indicators allows IT teams to prevent downtime, improve application performance, and enhance user experience.

Latency

Latency measures the time it takes for data to travel across the network. High latency disrupts not just VoIP calls and video conferencing but also cloud applications, database transactions and IoT sensors.

• Why it matters: Delays degrade user experience, slow data transfers, and disrupt workflows that rely on real-time responsiveness.
• Best practice: Regularly monitor latency and identify spikes caused by congestion or hardware issues. With GTT’s Managed SD-WAN, you gain real-time visibility and control to address latency problems proactively.

Jitter

Jitter refers to variations in packet delivery time. Real-time applications, like voice and video, are particularly sensitive to jitter.

• Why it matters: High jitter results in choppy audio, lagging video and disrupted communication.
• Solution: Monitoring jitter ensures smooth, uninterrupted data flow across your network, improving collaboration and customer interactions.

Packet Loss

Packet loss occurs when data packets fail to reach their destination, often due to network congestion or inefficient traffic routing.

• Why it matters: Even a small percentage of packet loss can cause fragmented voice calls, pixelated video, and incomplete data transfers, impacting both employee productivity and customer experience.
• Solution: Regular packet loss monitoring helps pinpoint underlying network issues and optimize bandwidth to improve reliability.

Throughput

Throughput measures the volume of data transferred over the network in a given period.

• Why it matters: High throughput supports bandwidth-intensive applications like video streaming, file transfers and cloud-based tools. Low throughput, on the other hand, can lead to congestion, delays and poor user experience.
• Solution: By monitoring throughput, IT teams can optimize capacity and prevent bottlenecks.

Mean Opinion Score (MOS)

MOS is a key indicator of VoIP call quality, rated on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).

• Why it matters: A low MOS means poor call clarity, frustrating users and hindering collaboration.
• Solution: Monitoring MOS enables teams to address network issues affecting voice quality and maintain seamless communication.

Learn how GTT Managed SD-WAN delivers real-time monitoring to keep your network performing at its best.

Best Practices for Monitoring SD-WAN Performance Metrics

Understanding what SD-WAN performance metrics you need to monitor feels like the blindfold is off, but true mastery of your network comes from implementing strategies. Strategies are the answer to optimal network functionality and user satisfaction.

You need a structured approach to systematically identify and address performance issues before they become bigger problems.

1. Deploy Advanced Monitoring Tools

Leverage tools that provide end-to-end visibility across both the overlay and underlay networks. The right tools should:

• Offer real-time dashboards to quickly identify issues.
• Provide automated alerts when metrics exceed predefined thresholds.
• Deliver historical data and reports to analyze trends and make informed decisions.

Managed SD-WAN includes advanced monitoring features, ensuring enterprises gain actionable insights for improved performance.

2. Set Thresholds and Alerts

Define clear performance thresholds for key metrics like latency, jitter, and packet loss. Thresholds establish benchmarks for network health and trigger alerts when issues arise.

• Example: Configure alerts for latency spikes exceeding 150ms or packet loss surpassing 1%.

Configuring automated alerts based on these thresholds further enhances responsiveness; when metrics exceed predefined limits, alerts notify IT personnel immediately, facilitating swift action to address the underlying problems.

3. Analyze Trends and Patterns

Historical trend analysis helps you identify recurring issues and predict potential failures. By understanding patterns in metrics, enterprises can:

• Optimize resource allocation.
• Adjust network configurations.
• Plan capacity upgrades to meet growing demands.

With GTT Managed SD-WAN, you can analyze trends effortlessly and ensure your network remains reliable and scalable.

Prioritizing SD-WAN Performance for Business Success

Monitoring SD-WAN performance metrics is about driving business success and IT efficiency. When left unchecked, network issues like latency and packet loss can:

• Interrupt critical communications.
• Disrupt cloud applications.
• Hinder employee productivity and customer satisfaction.

By prioritizing performance monitoring, enterprises gain:

• Enhanced user experience: Seamless voice, video, and application performance.
• Improved productivity: Reliable networks that support critical workflows.
• Optimized resources: Insights that drive smarter network decisions.

Transform Your Network with GTT

At GTT, we deliver managed SD-WAN solutions that simplify network monitoring and ensure consistent performance. Combined with Secure Connect (our SASE solution) and advanced DDoS protection and mitigation services, GTT provides an integrated approach to network optimization and security.

Take Control of Your Network Performance Talk to our experts today and discover how GTT can optimize your SD-WAN for peak efficiency and business success.

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SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) builds on the foundation of traditional WANs, introducing smarter traffic routing, better visibility, and greater flexibility. It unifies broadband, MPLS, LTE and 5G FWA to enhance performance and simplify operations.

In this blog, we'll break down SD-WAN architecture, deployment models, and the advantages it delivers in performance, security and scalability. Learn how our Managed SD-WAN can help evolve your network with confidence.

Key Components of SD-WAN Architecture

SD-WAN combines hardware and software tools to deliver an optimized, flexible network. Each component plays a specific role in creating a flexible and responsive network environment. Here's a breakdown of the core components:

• Edge Devices: Edge devices—physical routers or virtual appliances—are deployed at branch offices, data centers, or cloud environments to manage network traffic. They direct data across the most efficient paths while securing connections through encrypted tunnels and intrusion detection systems. By managing traffic at the network edge, these devices ensure that all data moves securely and efficiently.
• Cloud-Based Overlay: At the heart of SD-WAN is the cloud-based overlay network. It abstracts the physical infrastructure, creating a virtualized layer that intelligently routes traffic across multiple underlying transport options, such as broadband, LTE or MPLS. This overlay enables centralized policy control, dynamic path selection, and seamless scalability. It also enhances security by segmenting traffic and enforcing consistent policies end-to-end.
• Centralized Controller: The centralized controller acts as the command center for your SD-WAN network. Administrators can manage all devices and policies from a single platform without needing manual configurations at every branch. The controller continuously monitors network performance metrics, like latency and jitter, and dynamically adjusts traffic routes to optimize application performance. This streamlined control reduces complexity and enhances visibility across the entire network.
• Orchestration and Analytics: Orchestration tools simplify network management by automating device configurations, enforcing policies, and enabling features like Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP). With real-time analytics, administrators gain insights into network health, traffic patterns, and performance bottlenecks. Centralized orchestration ensures businesses can operate efficiently, scale quickly, and respond proactively to network issues.

Deployment Models of SD-WAN

The right SD-WAN deployment model depends on your organization's infrastructure, size, and IT expertise. Options include:

• On-Premises: On-premises deployments install SD-WAN appliances at physical locations, giving businesses direct control over their network operations. Sensitive data remains on internal servers, which may help meet compliance requirements for industries like healthcare or finance. However, this model often requires more maintenance and management resources.
• Cloud-Enabled: SD-WAN integrates seamlessly with cloud environments, enabling businesses to connect directly to platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud. By simplifying connectivity, this model allows organizations to streamline network management and enhance cloud application performance.
• Hybrid Models: SD-WAN combines on-premises and cloud-enabled deployments to provide flexibility and scalability. This dual-path approach maximizes bandwidth utilization while adapting to changing business demands and traffic conditions. By combining the best of both worlds, hybrid models deliver agility without sacrificing performance.

Before selecting the deployment model that suits your organization, consider security needs, compliance requirements, as well as budget and scalability.

Types of SD-WAN Architecture Deployment

The SD-WAN architecture deployment mentioned below is relevant to the overall network structure. Select the option that suits the performance needs of your business.

1. Internet-based SD-WAN (DIY SD-WAN): This low-cost, flexible option uses public internet connections to manage traffic routing. Organizations deploy and maintain appliances internally, offering control without significant upfront investment.     Performance concerns related to long distances may not be an issue for businesses operating in a single region or with access to high-quality internet. Additionally, enterprises with in-house IT expertise can efficiently handle deployment and management, making DIY SD-WAN a viable choice.

 

2. Carrier and MSP Managed Service SD-WAN: With this model, businesses partner with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or carrier to handle installation, connectivity, and ongoing network management. This approach benefits mid-to-large enterprises looking for expertise, service-level agreements (SLAs) that ensure performance, and a simplified IT burden.     Unlike DIY options, carrier and MSP-managed SD-WAN solutions often leverage a mix of public internet, private links, and cloud onramps to optimize application performance. This model is ideal for organizations that require high network reliability, predictable performance, and expert support without managing infrastructure in-house.

 

3. SD-WAN as-a-Service (Cloud-First WAN): Like a cloud service, SD-WAN as-a-Service, or Cloud-First WAN, functions by merging the security and reliability of private networks with the flexibility of internet-based connectivity. This model leverages a private core network, which enhances speed and overall WAN performance without requiring significant infrastructure investments.     With optimized connectivity across a global private backbone, this solution is ideal for businesses seeking rapid scalability, secure cloud access, and simplified management. Whether expanding to new locations or optimizing global operations, SD-WAN as-a-Service ensures seamless connectivity with minimal effort.

Each deployment type influences how you implement SD-WAN within your network architecture, impacting factors such as control, scalability, performance, and management responsibilities.

Benefits of SD-WAN Architecture for Large Enterprises

Large organizations are moving towards a centralized network management system and transitioning from traditional wide-area networks to SD-WAN. The shift has many benefits, including cost efficiency and enhanced connectivity. Hence, SD-WAN revenues may grow to $42,606 million by 2030.

Enhanced Network Performance and Reliability

SD-WAN intelligently routes traffic across the best-performing paths based on real-time network conditions like latency, jitter, and packet loss. Critical applications like video conferencing or cloud-based tools receive priority bandwidth to ensure smooth performance.

If a path becomes congested, SD-WAN automatically redirects traffic, minimizing downtime and improving reliability. By optimizing connectivity, enterprises can keep operations running smoothly, even during network disruptions.

Improved Security Posture

SD-WAN integrates built-in security features like encryption, firewalls, and intrusion prevention systems to protect data as it travels across the network. Communications between branches, data centers, and cloud platforms are automatically secured without manual configurations.

This streamlined approach reduces vulnerabilities, ensures compliance, and strengthens defenses against evolving cyber threats.

Cost Efficiency and Scalability

By reducing reliance on costly MPLS connections, SD-WAN enables businesses to leverage more affordable broadband or LTE options. Dynamic traffic optimization minimizes bandwidth waste while lowering operational expenses.

SD-WAN's scalability also supports rapid branch deployments and the addition of new devices without complex reconfigurations. Growing enterprises can adapt quickly to changing demands without increasing network costs.

Support for Digital Transformation Initiatives

SD-WAN accelerates digital transformation by ensuring seamless integration with cloud applications, remote work tools, and emerging technologies. SD-WAN supports multiple transport methods and reliable access to company resources from anywhere.

This level of agility empowers businesses to adopt new solutions and expand their digital capabilities without sacrificing performance or security.

Considerations for Implementing SD-WAN

When adopting SD-WAN, you should evaluate several factors to ensure the solution aligns with your operational needs and goals:

Assessing Network Requirements

Evaluate your current infrastructure, including connections (MPLS, broadband, LTE, 5G FWA) and hardware. Understanding these components ensures that SD-WAN integrates seamlessly with existing systems while enhancing performance.

Security Integration

Combining SD-WAN with Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) creates a unified solution that supports secure, agile, and scalable networking. SD-WAN provides intelligent routing and performance optimization, while SASE integrates key security capabilities like Secure Web Gateway (SWG) and Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) into a cloud-delivered framework.

Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) enhances this framework by adding identity-based access controls. ZTNA works alongside SASE to ensure users and devices are continuously verified before accessing critical applications and data, no matter where they are.

With centralized control through the Envision platform, GTT helps organizations enforce consistent policies, gain full visibility, and defend against threats across their digital environments. Together, SD-WAN and SASE form the backbone.

Planning for Integration and Migration

Integrating SD-WAN into existing networks requires a strategic approach that includes phased deployment, staff training, and awareness of potential challenges. A phased deployment allows you to implement SD-WAN, starting with pilot sites to test configurations and performance before a broader rollout.

This method reduces risk and enables teams to refine processes based on initial feedback. Staff training ensures that IT personnel are equipped to manage the new technology effectively; this includes understanding SD-WAN's features, monitoring tools, and security protocols.

During the transition, you should anticipate challenges such as interoperability issues with legacy systems, potential disruptions during the cutover process, and the need for ongoing support as users adapt to the new network environment.

Take the Next Steps with SD-WAN Architecture and GTT

Modern enterprises need networks that are secure, scalable and reliable. SD-WAN delivers all this and more-simplifying operations, optimizing cloud connectivity and reducing costs.

At GTT, we combine Managed SD-WAN with advanced cybersecurity solutions to help businesses stay connected and protected. Whether you need secure cloud integration, DDoS protection and mitigation, or 24/7 network monitoring, Managed Detection and Response (MDR), our experts are ready to deliver.

Talk to our experts today about getting a more reliable and accessible network.