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Survey: Companies' No. 1 fear from DDoS attack is lost business opportunity

Reputational risk and the loss of current customers as the result of an attack are also high on the list of concerns, Kaspersky finds.

March 19, 2015

According to the results of a survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International, 26 percent of companies that encountered a DDoS attack regard lost business opportunities — the loss of contracts or ongoing operations that generate guaranteed income — as the most damaging consequence of a DDoS attack.

While respondents identified lost business opportunities as the worst consequence associated with a DDoS attack, the survey found that reputational risks (23 percent) came in a close second.

Losing current customers who could not access the anticipated service due to a DDoS attack was in third place (19 percent).

Only 37 percent of the organizations surveyed said they currently have measures in place to protect against an attack.

"[I]t makes little sense to wait until the worst happens before acting — this can cost companies a lot, and not only in financial terms," said Evgeny Vigovsky, head of Kaspersky DDoS protection. "That is why it is important to evaluate all possible risks in advance and take appropriate measures to protect against DDoS attacks."