The Top 10 Distributed Denial Of Service (DDoS) Defense Solutions

Radware DefensePro X is an advanced, all-in-one DDoS defense platform that spans across original data centers and the public cloud.

Best for: Multi-layered DDoS attack protection.

How it works: DefensePro X offers offers protection against network multi-vector and DDoS attack campaigns, IoT botnets, application vulnerability exploits, malware, and other types of cyberattack. It uses dedicated hardware to mitigate incoming attacks without affecting non-malicious traffic. It also utilizes Radware’s patented AI-powered and machine-learning technology to detect incoming threats quickly, with each threat coordinating patterns to help block future threats and reduce the potential for false positives.

Who it’s for: This solution is well-suited to any sized organization looking to prevent DDoS attacks.

What we like: This solution stands out for its ability to protect against DDoS attacks at multiple layers.

• Real-time signature creation technology enables instant and automatic defense from zero-day and unknown attacks, with mitigation in 10 seconds or less and a high degree of accuracy.
• Advanced behavioral TLS fingerprinting helps detect and mitigate encrypted attacks without the need for decryption, enabling protection from layer 7 Web DDoS attacks.
• The 21-scrubbing center network of 15Tbps capacity protects users against simultaneous attacks, reducing downtime to a minimum.
• Radware’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) can manage your on-premises devices and tailor them to your business’ policies and practices.
• DefensePro X can be implemented inline or Out-Of-Path (OOP) in a scrubbing center, allowing for more accurate, effective, and efficient mitigation.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from Radware on request.

The bottom line: DefensePro X is an advanced DDoS defense solution. It’s highly scalable, with options for on-prem, hybrid, or full cloud implementation, and its dedicated response teams are quick to respond to callouts.

Learn more about Radware:

• Radware was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Prolexic is a purpose-built solution that stops malicious traffic, including DDoS attacks, before it can reach your applications, data centers, and internet-facing infrastructure (public or private).

Best for: Fully managed DDoS defense with a strong support offering.

How it works: Akamai Prolexic provides cloud-delivered mitigation across all ports and protocols to stop DDoS attacks before they impact businesses. It routes traffic via Anycast through the closest scrubbing center to your organization, where Akamai’s Security Operations Command Center (SOCC) deploys proactive or custom controls to ensure fast and accurate mitigation of DDoS attacks. Clean traffic is then returned to your organization.

Who it’s for: Thanks to its optional managed SOC services and 24/7/365 support, Prolexic is well-suited to and accessible for any organizations looking to protect their servers against DDoS attacks.

What we like: This solution allows organizations of all sizes to access comprehensive DDoS protection.

• A cloud-based network firewall provides central access control at the edge of the corporate network.
• Traffic re-routing via a border gateway protocol route advertisement change or DNS redirection.
• The 32 global high-capacity scrubbing centers in metro locations help stop attacks closer to their source while maintaining network resiliency.
• Flexible integration models through always-on or on-demand services based on desired security posture across hybrid origins.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from Akamai on request.

The bottom line: Prolexic is a full-featured DDoS defense solution. While it can be deployed standalone, Prolexic is often configured with two additional purpose-built solutions—Akamai App & API Protector and Akamai Edge DNS. This combination aims to keep web and internet-facing assets available and protected.

Learn more about Akamai:

• Akamai, a leader in DDoS protection, was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

AWS Shield is a managed DDoS protection solution that provides comprehensive defense against network, transport, and application-layer DDoS attacks.

Best for: Extensive, easy integrations with the AWS ecosystem.

How it works: AWS Shield is available via two tiers: Standard and Advanced. The Standard tier protects against network and transport layer attacks and can be combined with Amazon Cloudfront and Amazon Route 53 for a fully comprehensive DDoS solution. Shield Advanced builds on this by enabling admins to implement custom policies to defend against business-specific threats.

Who it’s for: We recommend this solution for any organization running web apps on the AWS ecosystem.

What we like: Due to its exclusivity with AWS, Shield operates by default for AWS customers, with add-ons accessible through the management console or via API. Plus, there’s no impact on latency.

• AWS Shield continuously monitors traffic flow into AWS services using filters and anomaly detectors that analyze traffic signatures.
• Automated mitigation systems, such as deterministic packet filtering and priority-based traffic shaping, help nullify basic network layer attacks.
• You can configure the firewall to run proactive rules such as rate-base blocks to nullify an early-stage DDoS attack.
• You can configure the system to either outright block traffic and hunt for threats, or deal with them as they hit.
• You can configure health-based detection through the API to prioritize the response to unhealthy/vulnerable applications first.
• The Shield Response Team can help you stop remediate DDoS attacks.
• You can manage both Shield and the WAF in one place, quickly and efficiently implementing universal policies and defenses.

Pricing: AWS Shield Standard is available for all AWS customers at no extra charge. AWS Shield Advanced is available from $3,000 USD/month plus data transfer usage fees.

The bottom line: AWS Shield is a strong DDoS defense tool that provides multi-layered DDoS protection, without adding latency or impacting legitimate traffic.

Learn more about AWS:

• Amazon Web Services was founded in 2002 and launched as a cloud computing service in 2006. It’s headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Cloudflare is a market-leading DDoS protection platform that offers defense against network, transport, and application-layer attacks.

Best for: Protection against even the largest scale DDoS attacks.

How it works: Cloudflare protects against network and transport-layer attacks through their patented Anycast network. This defense is channelled through Cloudflare’s Edge Data centers, where initial HTTP requests are reviewed and filtered to see whether the visitor could be malicious. For application-layer attacks, Cloudflare offers a WAF that utilizes pre-existing and custom policies to block and filter incoming requests.

Who it’s for: We recommend Cloudflare DDoS Protection for businesses of all sizes looking to stop DDoS attacks in their tracks.

What we like: Despite its comprehensive feature set, this solution is really straightforward to configure.

• Cloudflare’s Anycast network can handle over 37 Tbps, allowing websites to withstand even the largest of DDoS attacks.
• Cloudflare filters visitors according to criteria including user agents, paths, HTTP methods, and Transport Layer Security (TLS) checkers.
• The Rate Limiting add-on protects against application-layer attacks by using request thresholds, CAPTCHAS, response codes, and other mitigation responses to manage traffic access.
• Cloudflare analyzes incoming network traffic in real-time, which contributes to the over 1 billion unique IP addresses that pass through Cloudflare’s network every day. With each new IP address, their threat intelligence systems are updated to protect against the latest threats.

Pricing: Cloudflare offers two DDoS protection packages for business. The Business package, aimed at SMBs, is available for $200 USD/month (billed annually). The Enterprise package, aimed at larger organizations, offers custom pricing.

The bottom line: Cloudflare is a highly scalable DDoS protection solution that provides many add-ons to help tailor the service to serve your use case.

Learn more about Cloudflare:

• Cloudflare was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

F5 Distributed Cloud DDoS Mitigation Service is a managed, cloud-delivered solution designed to protect networks and applications from Layer 3 to Layer 7 DDoS attacks.

Best for: Rich attack visibility and reporting capabilities that improve situational awareness.

How it works: F5 Distributed Cloud DDoS Mitigation Service offers protection against volumetric Layer 3-4 DDoS attacks, application layer 7 attacks, and DNS attacks.

Who it’s for: This is a strong solution for any sized organization looking for managed DDoS protection that will block attacks and help reduce strain on their in-house security resources.

What we like: This solution’s reporting and analytics tools can greatly improve situational awareness, making it easier for you to identify the warning signs of an attack so you can detect future attacks more swiftly.

• The centralized console provides insights into active threats and attack mitigation, and reporting on events that take place before, during, and after an attack.
• F5’s Distributed Cloud Services can be delivered to applications running on any platform or public/private cloud.
• The platform supports multiple service discovery protocols simultaneously and integrates with service mesh solutions such as Istio or Linkerd.
• Integrations with tools like Terraform, Opsgenie, Slack, Splunk, and Datadog simplify operations for both the DevOps and SecOps teams.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from F5 on request.

The bottom line: Supported by F5 security experts, F5’s Distributed Cloud DDoS Mitigation Service stops attacks before they impact network operations and applications. It also reduces the time it takes to respond to attacks, boosting operational efficiency and reducing the impact of successful DDoS attacks.

Learn more about F5:

• F5 was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Fastly DDoS Mitigation is a comprehensive solution that protects businesses from both Layer 3/4 and Layer 7 DDoS attacks.

Best for: Quick deployment and seamless integration.

How it works: Fastly DDoS Mitigation inspects all bi-directional traffic, providing comprehensive protection from network and application layer attacks. With Fastly, you can configure custom DDoS rules with Varnish Configuration Language (VCL) that enables you to serve specific clients from cache in the event of an attack.

Who it’s for: We recommend Fastly DDoS Mitigation for organizations that want to protect their servers against disruptive Layer 3, Layer 4, and Layer 7 DDoS attacks.

What we like: With full access to HTTP requests, you can use VCL to create rules based on any attribute of a request or response.

• Fastly offers real-time access to data logs, enabling you to draw upon historical events such as traffic spikes to enable faster troubleshooting.
• Automated DDoS mitigation features include custom DDoS filters, rate limiting, and the ability to stop reflection and amplification attacks like ping floods and ICMP floods.
• The platform picks up responses from the Fastly next-gen WAF, enabling options for blocking or restricting clients as needed.
• 24/7 support from a dedicated security team.
• The platform integrates seamlessly with Fastly’s edge cloud network for optimal performance, and most of its configurations can be completed via API, making it straightforward to deploy and integrate.

Pricing: Fastly offers a free tier, a usage-based tier, and various package bundles that start from $1,500 USD/month.

The bottom line: With its multi-terabit-per-second network capacity, Fastly can absorb large-scale DDoS attacks, while providing real-time response capabilities. This enables businesses to maintain uptime and defend their digital infrastructure from disruptive threats.

Learn more about Fastly:

• Fastly was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Imperva DDoS Protection provides four-way defenses to protect against DDoS attacks on all apps, web assets, and underlying server infrastructure.

Best for: Unlimited protection against attacks of any size or duration.

How it works: Imperva DDoS protection utilizes Imperva’s high-capacity global network with a capacity of over 6 Tbps scrubbing, meaning that it can cleanse more than 65 billion attack packets per second. As your web traffic is guided through the Imperva global network, the platform applies AI-powered behavioral learning to process each new attack—helping to prepare for new waves and track new attack patterns to keep the system up-to-date.

Who it’s for: This is a strong solution for mid-market organizations and larger enterprises looking for protection against large-scale DDoS attacks.

What we like: Imperva’s global network can process the largest volume-based attacks, such as SYN floods and DNS amplification, but it can also stop high-level HTTP application-layer attacks with minimal impact on legitimate users.

• Advanced behavioral learning algorithms combat intricate application-layer attacks, whilst allowing legitimate users to access the service.
• Analyzes inbound attacks in real time, plotting each into a manageable attack timeline for you to review.
• Central dashboard allows you to review intelligence and make suitable adjustments to policy changes in real-time to improve your security posture.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from Imperva on request.

The bottom line: Imperva is a powerful, enterprise-grade solution that promises to stop any size, duration, and type of DDoS attack in three seconds or less. You can find out more about Imperva and their data protection solutions in our interview with Terry Ray, SVP and technology fellow at Imperva.

Learn more about Imperva:

• Imperva was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Mateo, California.

Microsoft Azure DDoS Protection provides comprehensive protection for Azure applications against network, transport, and application-layer attacks.

Best for: User-friendly protection for Azure resources.

How it works: Azure DDoS Protection offers immediate, always-on traffic monitoring and protection from the moment you install it. The adaptive AI learns traffic patterns specific to your business in order to identify anomalies and to update the service at the most appropriate time.

Who it’s for: This is a strong solution for organizations of any size looking to protect their Azure apps against DDoS attacks.

What we like: Azure DDoS Protection is very user-friendly; it’s easy to integrate within Microsoft/Azure ecosystems, and straightforward to configure for even non-technical users.

• Azure DDoS Protection includes a WAF, which defends against both network and application-layer attacks.
• You can access reporting and analytics on network and app-layer attacks and their mitigation status through Microsoft Azure Sentinel or an offline SIEM. The platform delivers detailed reports every five minutes during an attack, followed by a comprehensive summary report at the end.
• The DDoS Protection Rapid Response (DRR) team can intervene and help diagnose and investigate attacks.
• You can implement cost-guarantee measures to help recover the costs of DDoS attacks.

Pricing: Microsoft Azure offers a very flexible payment plan, where you can choose the specific add-ons that you require in order to defend your services effectively. As such, custom pricing is available from Microsoft Azure on request.

The bottom line: Azure DDoS Protection offers comprehensive protection against DDoS attacks, while still being straightforward for smaller teams and non-technical users to manage.

Learn more about Microsoft Azure:

• Microsoft Azure is Microsoft’s cloud computing service. It was first introduced in 2008, then officially launched in 2010. Today, it’s headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

NetScout’s Arbor DDoS Protection & Defense platform implements multi-layered protection to prevent both low-volume, highly-targeted attacks and volumetric, large-scale DDoS attacks.

Best for: Scalability, and the ability to support networks of all sizes.

How it works: Arbor DDoS Protection & Defense combines Arbor Sightline, Arbor Threat Mitigation System (TMS), and the Arbor Cloud to provide full protection against transport, network, and application-layer attacks.

Who it’s for: We recommend Arbor for businesses of all sizes, from SMB to enterprise.

What we like: This solution stands out for its ability to protect networks of all sizes.

• Arbor Sightline and Arbor TMS provide on-premises protection for larger networks, delivering clear network visibility and DDoS threat detection with a capacity of 400 Gbps. Sightline platform detects threats and automatically drives traffic to the TMS, whereby the threat is analyzed and mitigated.
• Arbor Edge Defensive (AED) finds and mitigates inbound attacks against smaller networks, with sub 100Mbps to 40 Gbps capacity. When a larger attack is detected, the platform signals to Arbor Cloud, which is where Arbor’s scrubbing centers are used.
• Arbor Cloud is a fully managed DDoS protection service that uses 14 scrubbing centers through the US, Europe, and Asia to provide global coverage. With Arbor Cloud, you can outsource DDoS management via the on-premises Sightline and TMS platform.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from NetScout on request.

The bottom line: NetScout Arbor DDoS Protection & Defense is a full-featured solution that offers protection to organizations of all sizes. It provides high levels of visibility whilst still being easy to manage, and customers benefit from strong documentation and support offerings.

Learn more about NetScout:

• NetScout was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts.

Nexusguard 360 DDoS Protection is designed to defend websites, applications, infrastructure, backends, and DNS servers against DDoS attacks.

Best for: Reliable, multi-lingual support from a 24/7 SOC.

How it works: Nexusguard 360 DDoS Protection provides application protection, a web application firewall, origin protection, InfraProtect, and DNS protection, each of which offers user-friendly and flexible configurations. By combining these tools, Nexusguard aims to ensure comprehensive data security, whilst still being relatively straightforward tot use and complying with restrictive local data management policies.

Who it’s for: We recommend this solution for any organization looking to block DDoS attacks.

What we like: Nexusguard 360 DDoS Protection stands out for the 24/7 support offered by their SOC team.

• The 24×7 Security Operations Center is staffed by multi-lingual security experts who provide constant monitoring and support. This enables you to keep services running during an attack while your IT team focuses on core tasks.
• With Nexusguard Portal, a traffic visibility, management and reporting system, you have granular control and insight into your network traffic.
• The platform’s mitigation platform uses machine learning and AI to detect threats and automatically initiate appropriate responses.
• Utilizing a global scrubbing network, 360 DDoS Protection can manage both international and in-country attack traffic, minimizing latency and maintaining a positive user experience.
• Flexible deployment options include cloud-in-a-box, pure-cloud, and hybrid.

Pricing: Pricing information is available from Nexusguard on request.

The bottom line: Nexusguard 360 DDoS Protection is an intuitive platform that integrates with virtually any environment, is easy to manage via a user-friendly interface, and offers reliable support in the event of an attack.

Learn more about Nexusguard:

• Nexusguard was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.