How Sycope helps detect and stop DDoS attacks

Why network visibility is the foundation of DDoS defense

A DDoS attack is like a sudden wave that can paralyze even the best-designed infrastructure in a short time. The key element of defense is not just firewalls or filters, but full visibility of network traffic. Without it, it is difficult to distinguish natural growth in service popularity from the first symptoms of an attack – and it is response time that determines the scale of potential losses.

What does network visibility mean?

Visibility is not just packet monitoring but collecting and analyzing data from multiple layers and protocols, including:

• NetFlow – traffic flow analysis, detection of spikes, unusual distribution of source IPs, anomalies in protocols.
• IPFIX – an extended version of NetFlow that provides more detailed data.
• sFlow – traffic sampling data, useful in high-volume environments, enabling efficient detection of large volumetric attacks.

Thanks to this, administrators can spot anomalies before they translate into system unavailability. Characteristic signals – a sudden surge in packet volume, unusual sources of queries, or changes in protocol proportions – are the first warning signs that the network is becoming the target of an attack.

Why is this so important?

Without such an “X-ray,” organizations only react when users report problems: the website won’t load, the application freezes, or transactions don’t go through. At this stage, losses are already tangible – both financial and reputational. That is why visibility is not a luxury but the foundation of defense:

• significant reduction of mean time to detect (MTTD) – from hours to minutes, meaning the attack is noticed before it causes serious damage.
• distinguishing legitimate traffic growth (e.g. during increased service usage) from actual DDoS – thanks to analysis of metrics such as IP sources, protocols, geographic distribution.
• reduction of false alarms, resulting in less manual work and better efficiency of the security team.

A full picture of traffic is the first step to an effective anti-DDoS strategy – without it, all subsequent actions resemble firefighting with a delay.

How Sycope analyzes traffic in real time

DDoS attacks are often lightning-fast – they can paralyze systems within minutes. That’s why “after the fact” log analysis is not enough. Effective defense requires continuous traffic observation and immediate reaction, which is one of the foundations of how Sycope works.

Security radar in practice

Sycope continuously collects and analyzes network flow data (NetFlow, IPFIX, sFlow). As a result, it:

• detects sudden traffic volume spikes – e.g. when the number of packets grows tenfold within a few minutes,
• monitors unusual sources of requests – e.g. a sudden surge of traffic from regions that previously did not generate significant connections,
• analyzes protocol characteristics – identifying whether the attack is based on TCP/UDP flooding or has an application-layer nature (HTTP/HTTPS).

Baseline and elimination of false alarms

One of the challenges in monitoring is false alarms. Natural traffic peaks – e.g. during a marketing campaign – can look like an attack. That’s why Sycope uses a baseline, i.e. a profile of normal network behavior in a given organization.

• If traffic grows in a predictable way, the system treats it as legitimate.
• If the increase is sudden and illogical – it triggers an alert.

This approach allows SOC teams to focus on real threats.

From alert to action

Sycope doesn’t stop at detection. Through external integrations, the platform can also initiate defensive actions:

• dynamically adjust firewall rules,
• block attack sources,
• redirect traffic to a scrubbing center.

Thanks to this, the mean time to respond (MTTR) is significantly reduced, and administrators can be sure that critical systems remain available even during massive DDoS campaigns.

Geolocation intelligence and threat correlation

Not every DDoS attack looks the same. Sometimes its sources are spread across the globe, other times concentrated in a single region. Understanding where the traffic really comes from and how it fits into known threat patterns provides a huge advantage during defense.

Sycope offers geolocation intelligence that visualizes data on a map and allows you to see the attack on a global scale. Instead of a dry table of IP addresses, the analyst sees:

• from which countries and regions the largest traffic is coming,
• which sources appear anomalous compared to the typical network profile,
• how the intensity of the attack changes over time.

This not only helps recognize the attack scenario but also speeds up decision-making – for example, whether to block traffic from certain regions.

Threat correlation

Geolocation data on its own is only the beginning. Real value comes from correlation with threat intelligence sources – cross-referencing IP addresses and attack vectors with global databases of malicious activity.

• If a traffic source is listed, for example, as part of an active botnet, Sycope immediately marks it as suspicious.
• If the attack fits a known criminal modus operandi, the SOC team receives additional context and can better predict the attackers’ next steps.

Practical example

Imagine an online service provider observing a sudden surge of requests from Southeast Asia – a region that normally generates only a fraction of the traffic. In Sycope, a map immediately displays red markers along with a notification that some of the IP addresses have been identified as part of the Meris botnet. Thanks to this, administrators don’t waste time on manual verification – they have a clear signal that this is not a coincidence but an organized attack.

Case study: ISP protected by Sycope

For internet service providers, DDoS attacks are an everyday reality. Unlike individual companies, ISPs are responsible for the stability of services for thousands of customers at once. Even a few minutes of downtime can mean not only dissatisfaction among individual users but also business connectivity outages, issues in the public sector, or delays in critical services such as transport or energy.

Problem

One European ISP increasingly became the target of volumetric attacks exceeding hundreds of Gb/s. Standard operator tools allowed ad-hoc traffic blocking but had two major flaws:

• they acted with delay – by the time the NOC team detected the problem, part of the infrastructure was already overloaded,
• they were imprecise – cutting off entire IP ranges risked blocking legitimate users.

The result was internet outages for customers, a flood of complaints, and a decline in trust toward the operator. The company faced the need to implement a solution that would provide full visibility of traffic across the entire network and the ability to respond quickly to attacks without unnecessary losses.

Action

After analyzing available options, the ISP decided to implement Sycope. Three aspects proved crucial:

• Real-time visibility – Sycope collects NetFlow, sFlow, and IPFIX data from the entire operator infrastructure and presents it in clear dashboards. Thanks to this, NOC analysts can literally “watch the traffic” and detect anomalies as they occur.
• Threat analytics and correlation – the system not only shows where the traffic comes from but also compares source addresses with global threat intelligence databases. This makes it immediately clear whether traffic surges are caused by botnets or legitimate users.
• Automated response – once an attack is detected, Sycope enables quick implementation of FlowSpec, blackholing, or redirection of part of the traffic to a scrubbing center. The NOC team does not have to manually write rules or experiment with blocks – actions are consistent and immediate.

Importantly, the system was integrated with the existing operator infrastructure, avoiding lengthy and costly network architecture modifications.

Result

The results of the deployment were visible almost immediately:

• attack detection time dropped from over a dozen minutes to under two,
• mitigation effectiveness increased significantly – attacks were neutralized without noticeable impact on users,
• the number of false blocks decreased to nearly zero, eliminating the risk of cutting off legitimate customers,
• the NOC team regained time – instead of constantly reacting in crisis mode, they could focus on service development and infrastructure optimization.

The operator also noted a decrease in customer complaints, while internal reports highlighted improved service stability and greater network security. An additional value was increased transparency – thanks to detailed reports, management received a clear picture of risks and the effectiveness of defensive measures.

Integration with SIEM, AI, and security orchestration

Defense against DDoS does not end with anomaly detection. In large organizations, what happens next is equally important – how attack information is passed on to other security systems and how quickly the appropriate responses can be triggered. That’s why Sycope was designed not as a standalone tool but as a solution that works within the entire security ecosystem.

Integration with SIEM

The data collected by Sycope – including information on flows, traffic sources, anomalies, or detected botnets – can be sent directly to SIEM systems. Thanks to this:

• DDoS incidents become part of the broader threat landscape in the organization,
• SOC analysts can see correlations between a DDoS attack and other events, such as brute-force attempts or port scanning,
• reporting and compliance (e.g. NIS2, GDPR) become simpler, since all security events are recorded in one place.

Orchestration and automated response

In a crisis situation, every minute counts. That’s why Sycope integrates with SOAR (Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response) platforms, which enable the automation of defensive actions. When the system detects a DDoS attack, it can immediately:

• apply blocking rules in firewalls,
• redirect traffic to a scrubbing center,
• notify the appropriate teams,
• trigger a predefined incident response playbook.

As a result, instead of manually writing rules or painstakingly analyzing logs, the SOC team receives a ready-made set of actions – and in many cases, they are implemented automatically.

Integration outcome

The combination of Sycope with SIEM, AI, and SOAR creates a consistent security ecosystem in which:

• incidents are detected faster,
• responses are more precise and automated,
• management and regulators receive clear reports on incident handling,
• the SOC team works more efficiently, as they don’t waste time on repetitive tasks.

As a result, DDoS defense stops being “firefighting” and becomes part of strategic cyber risk management.

Summary

DDoS attacks in 2025 are fast, complex, and increasingly difficult to stop with traditional methods. Effective defense requires not only monitoring but also real-time analysis, correlation with threat intelligence data, and automated responses. Sycope addresses these needs by combining full traffic visibility with intelligent detection mechanisms and integration into the broader security ecosystem.

Practice shows that thanks to this, organizations – from ISPs to financial institutions and the public sector – can significantly shorten detection and response times, reduce false alarms, and most importantly, maintain service continuity even during the most advanced DDoS campaigns.

Ultimately, Sycope is not just another monitoring tool. It is a strategic element of the security architecture that helps protect infrastructure, reputation, and business outcomes.

Do you want to better understand what DDoS attacks are, what forms they take, and why they pose such a serious threat? Check out the main article: What is a DDoS attack and how to protect against it in 2025

And if you want to learn how Sycope can help your organization detect and stop attacks, check the details here: Learn more about Sycope