Just because internet speed is up worldwide -- according to the latest state of the internet report released by cloud service firm Akamai -- doesn't mean computers are operating on a safer plain. The inconsistency is because "hack attacks" known as DDos attacks are also on the rise.
Though not that common -- there were 768 DDos attacks in 2012 -- such ploys increased by about 50 percent in 2013. According to NBC, a DDos attack is when hackers over burden web services with traffic, leading to reduced functioning or a crash. They're usually directed against companies and are more likely to occur to a company or website that's already been hit.
Negativity, the internet increased its overall speed by 5.5 percent, according to the report. South Korea was the biggest winner, increasing its average speed by over 50 percent. The United States maintained its position in the top 10 while reaching the "high broadband" threshold for the time.
"We've reached a significant milestone in the improvement of average connection speeds," said David Belson, editor of theState of the Internet Report. "The fact that all of the top 10 countries/regions' average connection speeds are now at or exceeding the high broadband threshold - and continued strong growth in countries like South Korea and Ireland - is indicative of the progress that's being made in broadband penetration. It's reasonable to expect these promising trends will continue to be reflected in future reports."
Unsurprisingly, the report also showed a significant rise in mobile traffic, up 70 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the first quarter of 2013.
