Qrator Labs Reports Mitigating Year’s Largest DDoS Attack to Date

Qrator Labs reports it mitigated a massive record 965 Gbps DDoS attack in April 2025, the largest incident reported this year so far.

A powerful DDoS attack targeted an online betting service on April 3, 2025, peaking at 965 Gbps and causing about 90 minutes of disruption. According to cybersecurity firm Qrator Labs, it was the largest DDoS incident the company recorded and mitigated so far this year.

Researchers believe that the DDoS attack was linked to what was going on in the NHL (National Hockey League), especially because the attack took place when NHL star Alexander Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal, tying Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record. Qrator Labs researchers believe the high-profile event acted as a trigger.

The incident began around 11:15 a.m. with traffic levels hitting 67 Gbps. Within minutes, it surged past 200 Gbps and peaked at 965 Gbps by 11:36. The attack maintained high volumes before tapering off just after 12:40 p.m.

According to Qrator Labs’ press release shared with Hackead.com, the size of the attack was one thing, but what stood out was how many different tactics were used at once. The platform was hit from several angles, including:

• 214 Gbps of IP flood
• 965 Gbps of UDP flood
• 229 Gbps of SYN flood
• 169 Gbps of TCP flood

Betting platforms have increasingly become targets during major sporting events. Similar incidents were seen during the 2024 UEFA European Championship, where high user traffic created ideal conditions for disruption or extortion attempts.

“This new incident is a clear reminder that major industry-specific events can be exploited by malicious actors. Companies that work with them, such as online betting platforms, must prepare in advance to defend their digital infrastructure when attention is at its peak,” said Andrey Leskin, Chief Technology Officer at Qrator Labs.

DDoS attacks aren’t new, but their scale, timing, and complexity continue to grow. For industries built around live events, such as betting, gaming, and ticketing, these moments are no longer just busy periods. They’re also risk points.

Therefore, companies need reliable protection against DDoS and other related malicious attacks. Here is a list of 11 leading DDoS protection and mitigation providers, all with a proven track record of blocking large-scale attacks on both government and private organisations.