Distributed denial-of-service attacks continue as an effective means to distract and confuse security teams while inflicting serious brand damage, but survey data shows hackers getting higher yields from targeted, determined attacks.

According to Sterling, Va.-based information provider Neustar, bi-annual "Global DDoS Attacks and Cyber Security Insights Report," brands experienced a 27% increase in the number of breaches per DDoS attack.

"With a nod toward consistency, attackers went after three of the major industries: financial services, retail, and technology, with a determined fervor," the report revealed. However, there are some interesting caveats in this activity. Financial services and retail saw an increase in attacks over last year, but a decrease in incursions more than once. Conversely, companies in the technology vertical saw a decrease in rate of attacks, but an increase in multiple attacks.