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Techday NZ
a day ago
- Techday NZ
Cloudflare thwarts record 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack with automation
Cloudflare has confirmed it recently mitigated what it describes as the largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack ever publicly disclosed, clocking in at 7.3 terabits per second (Tbps), surpassing previous known records. The attack, which occurred in mid-May 2025, targeted a hosting provider customer utilising Cloudflare's Magic Transit service for network defence. According to Cloudflare data, this incident follows closely on the heels of attacks recorded at 6.5 Tbps and 4.8 billion packets per second, illustrating that DDoS attacks are continuing to increase in both scale and complexity. Cloudflare stated that the 7.3 Tbps attack was 12% larger than its previous record and 1 Tbps greater than another recent attack reported by security journalist Brian Krebs. Attack analysis The 7.3 Tbps DDoS attack delivered a total of 37.4 terabytes of data within a 45-second window. During the attack, the targeted IP address was bombarded across an average of 21,925 destination ports, reaching a peak of 34,517 destination ports per second. The distribution of source ports mirrored this targeting method. The attack employed several vectors but was dominated by UDP floods, constituting 99.996% of total traffic. The residual traffic, amounting to 1.3 GB, involved QOTD reflection, Echo reflection, NTP reflection, Mirai UDP floods, Portmap flood, and RIPv1 amplification techniques. Each vector was identified and catalogued, with Cloudflare detailing how organisations could protect both themselves and the broader Internet from such forms of abuse. Cloudflare explained that the UDP DDoS component worked by sending large volumes of UDP packets to random or specific destination ports, either to saturate the Internet link or overwhelm network appliances. Other vectors, such as the QOTD (Quote of the Day), Echo, NTP, Portmap, and RIPv1, exploited vulnerabilities in legacy protocols and services to reflect and amplify attack traffic onto target systems. Global scale The attack was notable for its global reach. Traffic originated from more than 122,145 source IP addresses across 5,433 autonomous systems in 161 countries. Nearly half of the attack traffic came from Brazil and Vietnam, accounting for around twenty-five percent each. The remainder was largely attributable to sources in Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Thailand, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. At an autonomous system level, Telefonica Brazil (AS27699) contributed 10.5% of attack traffic, with Viettel Group (AS7552), China Unicom (AS4837), Chunghwa Telecom (AS3462), and China Telecom (AS4134) among the other major sources. The attack saw an average of 26,855 unique source IP addresses per second, peaking at 45,097. Technical response Cloudflare utilised the global anycast architecture to divert and dissipate the massive influx of traffic. As packets arrived at Cloudflare's network edge, they were routed to the closest data centre. This incident was managed across 477 data centres in 293 locations worldwide, with some regions operating multiple facilities due to traffic volume. Detection and mitigation were handled by Cloudflare's automated systems, which operate independently in each data centre. The Cloudflare global network runs every service in every data centre. This includes our DDoS detection and mitigation systems. This means that attacks can be detected and mitigated fully autonomously, regardless of where they originate from. Upon arrival, data packets were intelligently distributed to available servers where they were sampled for analysis. Cloudflare employed the denial of service daemon (dosd), a heuristic engine that reviews packet headers and anomalies for malicious patterns. The system then generated multiple permutations of digital fingerprints specific to the attack, seeking patterns that maximised blocking efficacy while minimising impact on legitimate traffic. Within data centres, real-time intelligence was shared by servers multicasting fingerprint information, refining mitigation on both a local and global scale. When a fingerprint surpassed predefined thresholds, mitigation rules were compiled and deployed as extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) programs to block the offending traffic. Once the attack ceased, associated rules were removed automatically. Botnet feed and future mitigation Cloudflare also maintains a free DDoS Botnet Threat Feed to help Internet service providers and hosting companies identify malicious traffic originating within their own infrastructure. The company said that over 600 organisations have subscribed to this service, allowing them to receive up-to-date lists of offending IP addresses engaged in DDoS attacks. Recommendations from Cloudflare emphasise tailored defences to address the unique characteristics of each network or application, with care taken to ensure that mitigation steps do not inadvertently disrupt legitimate traffic, particularly for services that depend on UDP or legacy protocols. Cloudflare's team highlighted that these successful defences occurred entirely without human intervention, alerting, or incident escalation, underscoring the shift towards fully autonomous, distributed mitigation strategies in response to modern DDoS threats.
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
PM Shehbaz directs for early finalization of national industrial policy
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed for early finalization of national industrial policy in consultation with all stakeholders for lasting solution of problems faced by industries and accelerating industrial growth, according to Radio Pakistan. Chairing a high level meeting in Islamabad, he said development of domestic industries is inevitable for export-led economic growth. Pakistan reveals National Tariff Policy draft, aims to eliminate RDs, ACDs in 5 years The Prime Minister said equipping the industries with international standard manpower and technology is the government's top priority. He said recent economic policies have been devised with the aim to give a boost to domestic industries. He mentioned the tariff rationalization policy, and said it will promote investment in the country. During the meeting, recommendations were presented for development of domestic industries. It was informed that the country's manufacturing sector will be revived through an effective industrial policy. In a related development earlier, the federal government unveiled the draft for the National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025–30 at the Regulatory Reforms Conference on Wednesday. The conference, organised by the Board of Investment (BoI), aimed at advancing regulatory simplification and industrial competitiveness, bringing together federal ministers, diplomats, and private sector representatives for a strategic dialogue on Pakistan's economic direction. 'The National Tariff Policy 2025–30 is designed to create a predictable, transparent, and investment-friendly tariff structure,' said Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, read a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce. The NTP 2025–30 outlines ambitious reform goals, including the phasing out of ACDs in four years, elimination of RDs and the 5th Schedule within five years, and the establishment of a simplified four-slab Customs Duty structure (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%).
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
One Nation, One Time: India's march towards time sovereignty, says Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): The Department of Consumer Affairs, Government of India, organised a landmark Round Table Conference on Time Dissemination at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, today, under the visionary theme 'One Nation, One Time.' According to a press release, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, emphasised the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the Department of Consumer Affairs in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. He highlighted that the upcoming Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025, will mandate synchronisation of all legal, commercial and administrative activities with Indian Standard Time (IST), prohibiting the use of alternative time references unless explicitly authorised. The Minister underscored that precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation, and others is essential to ensuring fairness, accuracy and national security. The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronization protocols like NTP and PTP, ushering in a new era of digital and administrative efficiency under the vision of 'One Nation, One Time', the press release said. Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare, in her presentation, highlighted the urgent need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. S he explained that under the Time Dissemination Project, the Department, in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO, is establishing an advanced infrastructure comprising five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. These centres are being equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronisation systems using Network Time Protocol (NTP) and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to ensure millisecond to microsecond accuracy. According to the press release, Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, in his welcome address, emphasised that adopting a comprehensive approach to time management strengthens the Government's ability to carry out enforcement activities with greater efficiency, accuracy and coordination, thereby enhancing overall administrative effectiveness. The conference featured expert presentations on time synchronisation challenges and the necessity of reducing dependency on foreign time sources like GPS, which pose risks such as spoofing and jamming. Stakeholders from diverse sectors such as banking, telecom, energy, stock markets and transportation echoed the importance of an indigenous, precise, and verifiable time standard. The Time Dissemination initiative is the result of sustained inter-ministerial coordination and technical consultations since 2018. Meetings were held with the Principal Scientific Adviser, Deputy NSA, Cabinet Secretariat and NSCS. Over 60 meetings have been held by the Department of Consumer Affairs, with extensive engagement with CSIR-NPL, ISRO and other key stakeholders. This sustained engagement led to the formulation of the Draft Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. For the common man, this initiative translates into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronised timekeeping in transportation and communication, ensuring fairness, transparency, and trust in day-to-day services. As per the press release, the Round Table Conference witnessed active participation from over 100 stakeholders representing a broad spectrum of sectors. These included senior officials from key Government Ministries and Departments such as the Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Finance, SEBI, NSCS, Railways, and the Central Bank of India. Technical partners from CSIR-NPL and ISRO also played a central role. Leading public and private sector organisations like Power Grid, RailTel, BSNL, NSE, BSE and major telecom and internet service providers such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, Sify and Tata Communications participated. Industry associations, including FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM, PHD Chamber, COAI and TEMA, were well-represented, alongside key cybersecurity and digital infrastructure stakeholders like CERT-In, NIC, NCIIPC and CCA. Voluntary Consumer Organisations (VCOs) and representatives from ICICI, Bank of Baroda and various other stakeholders also contributed to the discussions, reaffirming collective national support for the adoption of Indian Standard Time across sectors. (ANI)
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
National Tariff Policy draft 2025-30 unveiled
ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan unveiled the draft National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025-30 during the National Regulatory Reforms Conference organised by the Board of Investment (BoI). The conference, aimed at advancing regulatory simplification and industrial competitiveness, brought together federal ministers, diplomats, and private sector representatives for a strategic dialogue on Pakistan's economic direction. Rana Ihsaan Afzal, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce, represented the Ministry of Commerce and delivered the keynote address on the minister's behalf. In his speech, Afzal underscored the government's strong commitment to rationalising Pakistan's tariff regime, simplifying business processes, and fostering export-led growth. He stated, 'The National Tariff Policy 2025-30 is designed to create a predictable, transparent, and investment-friendly tariff structure. By facilitating duty-free access to raw materials, phasing out Additional Customs Duties (ACDs) and Regulatory Duties (RDs), and supporting nascent and green industries, this policy paves the way for innovation, employment generation, and sustained economic growth.' The NTP 2025-30 outlined ambitious reform goals, including the phasing out of ACDs in four years, elimination of RDs and the 5th Schedule within five years, and the establishment of a simplified four-slab Customs Duty structure (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%). The policy aims to benefit key sectors including textiles, engineering, pharmaceuticals, and IT, while encouraging investment and reducing production costs across the board. Rana Afzal highlighted that the implementation will begin with the reduction of tariffs on approximately 7,000 tariff lines, largely focused on raw materials and intermediate goods, yielding an estimated Rs 200 billion in benefits to trade and industry. 'These reforms will enable Pakistan's industries to scale, compete globally, and shift towards higher value-added exports,' he said. 'With these changes, we anticipate not just stronger GDP growth, but also increased employment, improved industrial productivity, and enhanced investor confidence.' The conference was also attended by Federal Minister for the Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, senior officials, diplomats, and leading figures from the private sector. Participants lauded the government's efforts to streamline regulation and modernise trade facilitation, calling the draft policy a significant step toward Pakistan's long-term economic transformation. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Draft tariff policy for 2025-30 unveiled
Listen to article The Government of Pakistan unveiled the draft National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2025-30 during the National Regulatory Reforms Conference organised by the Board of Investment (BOI). The conference, aimed at advancing regulatory simplification and industrial competitiveness, brought together federal ministers, diplomats and private sector representatives for strategic dialogue on Pakistan's economic direction. Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal underscored the government's commitment to rationalising Pakistan's tariff regime, simplifying business processes and fostering an export-led growth. "The National Tariff Policy 2025-30 is designed to create a predictable, transparent and investment-friendly tariff structure. By facilitating duty-free access to raw material, phasing out additional customs duties and regulatory duties, and supporting nascent and green industries, this policy paves the way for innovation, employment generation and sustained economic growth," he said. The policy outlines ambitious reform goals, including the phasing out of additional customs duties over four years, elimination of regulatory duties and 5th Schedule within five years, and establishment of a simplified four-slab customs duty structure (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%). It aims to benefit key sectors including textile, engineering, pharmaceutical and IT while encouraging investment and reducing production costs across the board. Rana Afzal highlighted that implementation would begin with reduction in tariffs on around 7,000 tariff lines, largely focused on raw material and intermediate goods, yielding Rs200 billion in benefits to trade and industry.
