On April 3, Qrator Labs recorded the most intensive DDoS attack so far in 2025. Targeting an organization in the online betting segment, it peaked at 965 Gbps — just shy of the 1 Tbps mark.

The timing of the incident strongly suggests a connection to a historic NHL milestone: on April 3, Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin scored his 892nd goal, tied Wayne Gretzky’s long-standing record of 894 on April 5, and surpassed it with his 895th on April 6. Qrator Labs experts believe the significance of this event likely triggered the DDoS attack.

The incident in question lasted approximately 90 minutes, unfolding in a wave-like pattern. It began at 11:15 with an intensity of 67 Gbps, surged to 217 Gbps by 11:23, peaked at 965 Gbps at 11:36, and declined to 549 Gbps by 12:41 before ending shortly thereafter.

It was a multivector DDoS attack, with peak intensities reaching 965 Gbps for UDP flood, 229 Gbps for SYN flood, 214 Gbps for IP flood, and 169 Gbps for TCP flood.

Qrator Labs has previously observed similar surges in DDoS activity targeting the online betting industry during major sporting events. Notably, a significant increase in attack volume was recorded during the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. 

“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.