How the first 2024 US presidential debate influenced Internet traffic and security trends

The Biden vs Trump debate influenced Internet traffic at the state level in the US, with drops in traffic as high as 17% (in Vermont) during the debate. Microblogging and video streaming platforms saw traffic changes during the debate. Trump-related sites, including donation platforms, gained much more traction than Biden’s during and after the debate. Emails with “Trump” in the subject had higher rates of spam and malicious content compared to those with “Biden.” No increase in cyberattacks during the debate, but frequent DDoS attacks targeted government and political sites in the preceding months.