More than two in five businesses (43%) that have been the victim of a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack on their IT system believe that their competitors were behind it.
According to research by Kaspersky Lab and B2B International , competing businesses are considered more likely culprits compared to digital criminals, who are cited as suspects by fewer than two in five (38%) 
victims .
Kaspersky Lab’s 2016 IT Security Risks* Survey found that industrial sabotage was seen as the most likely cause behind a DDoS attack, ranking higher than political conspiracy and personal vendettas against a business. Only one in five attack victims (20%) blamed foreign governments and intelligence agencies, with the same percentage (21%) suspecting disgruntled former employees.
When assessing the overall picture, more than half (56%) of DDoS attack victims in Asia Pacific blame their competitors, and over a quarter blame foreign governments (28%). Personal grudges also rank high in this region.
One in three (33%) blame former staff members. However, only a third (37%) of businesses in Western Europe suspect foul play by their competitors, with a fifth (17%) blaming foreign governments.
Observing behavior according to business size, small businesses are more likely to suspect their competitors when experiencing a DDoS attack.
48% of small and medium-sized business representatives believe this is the reality, compared to just 36% of large businesses. In contrast, representatives of large companies believe that former employees and foreign governments bear the greatest responsibility.
“It’s clear that businesses feel like their IT systems and personal data are under siege from all sides,”said Kirill Ilganaev, Head of Kaspersky DDoS Protection at Kaspersky Lab. “With DDoS attacks so frequent and powerful, many suspect that competitors are behind them, looking for ways to put their rivals out of action and, as a result, steal their customers. With these insidious tactics on the rise, it’s imperative for businesses to protect themselves and remain impenetrable to potential attacks in order to stay in the game.”
