Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET) announced a significant advancement in internet security, now securing 52% of all human web traffic with post-quantum encryption. This achievement, detailed in their sixth annual Year in Review, leverages data from Cloudflare Radar and their globally distributed network—spanning over 330 cities across 120 countries—to deliver enhanced protection against future threats. Driven by a 19% year-over-year increase in global internet traffic, Cloudflare’s connectivity cloud provides a unified platform of cloud-native products and developer tools, safeguarding millions of organizations and ensuring a more resilient online experience.
Internet Traffic Growth and AI Advancement
Global internet traffic experienced a substantial increase of 19% year-over-year, according to Cloudflare’s Year in Review. This growth coincides with advanced capabilities being introduced to Artificial Intelligence, indicating a strong correlation between increased internet usage and AI development. Cloudflare’s network, spanning over 330 cities across 120 countries, powers Cloudflare Radar, a tool providing insights into these global internet trends and supporting analysis of this expanding online landscape.
A key milestone in internet security was the implementation of post-quantum encryption, now securing 52% of all human traffic. This advancement is crucial for protecting users from future threats, highlighting a proactive approach to cybersecurity as internet dependency grows. Cloudflare’s role in blocking billions of online threats daily demonstrates its commitment to maintaining a resilient and secure internet environment amidst escalating cyber warfare and record-breaking DDoS attacks.
Cloudflare’s network is central to understanding these changes, leveraging data from its global reach and the widely-used 1.1.1.1 public DNS Resolver. This data powers Cloudflare Radar, providing accessible information about internet trends. The company notes that the internet isn’t just changing, but being fundamentally rewired, pointing to both the opportunities and challenges presented by AI and increasingly sophisticated threat actors.
Escalation of Cyber Warfare and DDoS Attacks
In 2025, the Internet experienced a dramatic escalation in cyber warfare, evidenced by more than 25 record-breaking DDoS attacks. This surge in attacks redefined the scale of online threats, challenging existing security measures. Global Internet traffic increased by 19% year-over-year, contributing to a more complex and vulnerable online landscape. Cloudflare’s network plays a critical role in observing and mitigating these increasing threats across the globe.
Cloudflare’s network, spanning over 330 cities in 120 countries, is central to understanding these trends. Data collected through Cloudflare Radar and its 1.1.1.1 DNS resolver provides insights into global Internet activity and security events. This data revealed not only the increased frequency of attacks but also highlighted the growing sophistication of threat actors, requiring constant adaptation and innovation in cybersecurity.
To address these evolving threats, 52% of all human Internet traffic is now secured by post-quantum encryption. This implementation represents a significant milestone in protecting users from future threats, particularly those posed by advancements in computing power. Cloudflare’s role in blocking billions of threats daily demonstrates its commitment to a more secure and resilient Internet for all users.
The Internet isn’t just changing, it’s being fundamentally rewired. From AI, to more creative and sophisticated threat actors, every day is different.
Matthew Prince, CEO and co-founder at Cloudflare
Post-Quantum Encryption and Internet Security
In 2025, significant progress was made in internet security with the implementation of post-quantum encryption. This technology now secures 52% of all human internet traffic, protecting users from potential future threats. This milestone highlights a proactive approach to safeguarding data in anticipation of advancements in computing power that could compromise current encryption methods. The development and deployment of post-quantum encryption are key components of building a more resilient and secure online experience.
Cloudflare’s network plays a critical role in observing and responding to evolving internet trends, including security challenges. Powered by data from a network spanning 330+ cities in 120+ countries, and aggregated data from its 1.1.1.1 public DNS Resolver, Cloudflare provides insights into global internet activity. This data collection allows for monitoring of traffic patterns and the effectiveness of security measures like the recently implemented post-quantum encryption, protecting millions of organizations.
The integration of post-quantum cryptography (PQC) addresses the existential threat posed by future quantum computers, which are theoretically capable of breaking current widely-used asymmetric algorithms like RSA and ECC. By adopting lattice-based cryptography, such as CRYSTALS-Kyber, Cloudflare is shifting protocols to standards resistant to Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms. This proactive transition is vital because the “harvest now, decrypt later” threat model implies that encrypted data intercepted today could be decoded decades from now, necessitating immediate infrastructural upgrades to maintain long-term confidentiality for sensitive communications.
From a network architecture perspective, the shift to enhanced security is managed via a sophisticated global deployment of tunnels and optimized routing protocols. The company utilizes its Anycast network structure to ensure that data encryption and threat inspection are distributed geographically, minimizing single points of failure. This distributed resilience allows for high-throughput cryptographic operations—including the encapsulation and decryption of billions of secure sessions daily—without creating immediate network latency bottlenecks, a crucial factor for maintaining user experience during high-volume traffic peaks.
The burgeoning relationship between AI and internet usage introduces unique computational demands, particularly in the realm of edge computing. As AI models become more sophisticated and decentralized, the processing load for features like real-time content delivery and deep packet inspection shifts away from central cloud data centers. Cloudflare’s capability to ingest and analyze massive, high-velocity data streams at the network edge is therefore paramount, serving as a crucial filtration layer that mitigates the risk of AI-driven botnets and sophisticated behavioral attacks.
The growth of internet traffic, which ballooned by 19% year-over-year, occurred alongside the advancement of post-quantum encryption. While increased traffic presents new challenges, Cloudflare actively works to block billions of threats daily. This demonstrates a commitment to both facilitating connectivity and maintaining a secure online environment for its customers and internet users worldwide, even amidst escalating cyber warfare and record-breaking DDoS attacks.
