13 Best DDoS Protection Software in the Market 2024

With DDoS attacks on the rise—surpassing 4.25 billion in 2023—the right protection is crucial. Costly downtime—$6,130/minute—underscores the urgency.

These attacks are getting more sophisticated, especially those that target the application layer. They’re hard to spot because they look like normal traffic and can seriously mess up a company’s operations and finances.

There’s a wide range of DDoS mitigation solutions, including those offered by trusted WAF(WAAP) vendors, that exist on the market. From software extensions to firewalls to dedicated hardware defenses against DDoS, the options are extensive.

However, selecting the right one isn’t straightforward—it depends on your organization’s unique requirements, risk factors, and budgets.

This guide explores leading DDoS mitigation software, detailing their strengths and limitations.

Disclaimer: This guide focuses exclusively on Application Layer (Layer 7) DDoS protection software.

Why Application Layer DDoS Protection Matters?

Application Layer DDoS attacks are on the rise in popularity and sophistication.

They focus on disrupting the application itself rather than the network. They aim to overwhelm the resources of the targeted service, such as the server and its applications, ultimately slowing down or halting the service altogether.

They often utilize discrete methods, such as IoT devices, posing a significant threat due to the vast number of vulnerable IoT devices at attackers’ disposal. Check the major challenges of IoT in application security.

While effective against high-volume attacks and certain anomalies, network DDoS solutions fall short against application layer attacks.

Attackers bypass CDNs by targeting areas without cached content, overwhelming the origin servers. They can also obtain origin server IPs through logs, headers, and DNS leaks, directing massive traffic to them.

Additionally, application layer attacks pose a danger as they can mimic legitimate traffic, deceiving defenses.

That said, having a dedicated application layer attack protection provider becomes essential to effectively mitigate the risks posed by these sophisticated threats.

How Does DDoS Protection Software Work?

A DDoS mitigation software equips organizations with the necessary capabilities to defend against DDoS attacks.

DDoS mitigation systems monitor incoming traffic levels compared to historical averages. When traffic exceeds normal thresholds, indicating a potential attack, the system implements measures to filter or block the excess traffic, ensuring the targeted application remains accessible and operational.

Here’s how application layer DDoS mitigation software tools typically work:

Behavioral Analysis: Application layer DDoS prevention software employ behavioral analysis techniques to monitor and analyze the behavior of incoming traffic. By establishing a baseline of normal behavior, the software can detect deviations indicative of DDoS attacks, such as abnormal request rates or patterns.

Request Validation: Incoming requests are subjected to thorough validation processes to ensure they comply with expected protocol standards and application requirements. Requests that deviate from the expected norms or contain malicious payloads are flagged for further inspection or mitigation.

Rate Limiting and Throttling: To prevent overwhelming the application server, the mitigation software implements rate limiting and throttling mechanisms. These mechanisms restrict the number of requests or connections allowed from individual IP addresses, effectively mitigating the impact of volumetric attacks. Ideally, AI-based anomaly models should give dynamic recommendations on rate-limits.

Challenge-Response Mechanisms: In advanced DDoS attacks, challenge-response mechanisms, such as CAPTCHAs or token-based verification, must be used to differentiate between legitimate users and malicious bots. By requiring users to solve challenges or provide valid tokens, the software can thwart automated bot attacks.

Signature-Based Detection: Signature-based detection techniques are utilized to identify known DDoS attack patterns or signatures within incoming traffic. By comparing incoming requests against a database of known attack signatures, the software can promptly detect and mitigate familiar attack vectors.

Session Management: Efficient session management is crucial for mitigating application layer DDoS attacks. The mitigation software should optimize session handling processes to prevent resource exhaustion and ensure fair resource allocation, thereby maintaining the availability and performance of critical services.

Anomaly Detection: Anomaly detection algorithms to detect deviations from normal traffic behavior, such as sudden spikes or unusual patterns. By continuously monitoring traffic patterns, the software can promptly identify and respond to anomalous activities indicative of DDoS attacks.

Explore our in-depth blog covering techniques for analyzing DDoS traffic.

Content Caching and Acceleration: To alleviate the load on origin servers during DDoS attacks, the anti-DDoS software may employ content caching and acceleration techniques. By caching frequently accessed content and serving it from cache, the software reduces the burden on origin servers and ensures the uninterrupted delivery of content to legitimate users.

API Protection: Anti-DoS software should also protect external/public APIs. Key protection measures include rate limiting, input validation, and access control, to safeguard against API-specific DDoS attacks and vulnerabilities.

Collaborative Threat Intelligence

Many DDoS prevention tools leverage threat intelligence feeds and collaborate with security organizations to stay updated on the latest attack vectors and known malicious IP addresses. This information enhances the software’s ability to detect and block emerging threats.

For insights into effective DDoS protection strategies, explore our in-depth blog on DDoS protection best practices.

Types of DDoS Protection Solutions

DDoS Mitigation Method	Overview	Pros	Cons
On-Premise	Deployed within the organization’s network perimeter, offering full control over mitigation measures.	Full control and visibility. Immediate response within the organization’s perimeter.	Limited scalability based on hardware capacity. Upfront investment with ongoing maintenance costs.
Cloud-Based	Leverages third-party cloud infrastructure for scalable and immediate mitigation, with subscription-based pricing.	Highly scalable and elastic, with no upfront hardware costs. Rapid response through cloud-based scrubbing centers.	Dependency on third-party providers for security and support.
Hybrid	Combines the control and customization of on-premise solutions with the scalability and expertise of cloud-based services.	Flexibility to tailor a defense strategy to specific needs. Dynamic scaling for evolving threats.	Adds complexity in managing both on-premise and cloud components. A balance between upfront hardware costs and ongoing subscription fees.

Features to Look for in a DDoS Mitigation Software

Not all anti-DDoS solutions are created equal. To ensure comprehensive protection, it’s essential to look for certain key features when selecting a DDoS protection software.

Let’s delve into the essential features that every organization should consider:

Behavior-based Detection and Mitigation

Behavioral-based protection defends against DDoS attacks by analyzing traffic behavior with machine learning. It establishes a baseline of normal activity, detects anomalies indicating attacks or bot infections, and doesn’t depend on outdated signatures.

By dynamically adjusting traffic, it minimizes disruption while effectively thwarting attacks, ensuring optimal server health and service availability.

Static thresholds are inflexible and prone to false positives, while dynamic thresholds adjust to distinguish attack traffic from normal traffic more accurately.

Scalability and Flexibility

The best DDoS mitigation software grows seamlessly alongside the business, adapting to changing traffic patterns and emerging threats without compromising performance or reliability.

Flexibility in deployment options, whether cloud-based or on-premise, ensures compatibility with diverse IT environments.

Reliable Support

Consider a scenario where an e-commerce platform is targeted by a relentless DDoS attack during a busy holiday season. In such critical moments, responsive and reliable support becomes the backbone of resilience, providing immediate assistance to mitigate the attack and restore normal operations.

Bandwidth Capacity

DDoS attacks vary widely in size, from a few gigabits per second (Gbps) to terabits per second (Tbps). To effectively defend against these threats, a DDoS mitigation service needs bandwidth capacity exceeding potential attack sizes. Cloud-based services typically offer multi-Tbps capacities, while on-premise solutions are limited by the organization’s network size and hardware capabilities.

For instance, AppTrana can handle large attacks by utilizing AWS infrastructure, automatically scaling as needed. It has been tested against attacks up to 2.3 Tbps.

False Positive Monitoring

Inappropriate security rule thresholds may mistakenly flag legitimate traffic as attacks, while even regular users might trigger rules due to certain web page characteristics. For instance, frequent page refreshes on stock lists may wrongly identify users as bots.

To lower false positive rates, opt for a vendor that offers false positive monitoring as part of their service.

With our premium plan on AppTrana, our security researchers serve as an extension of your SOC, thoroughly analyzing trends such as request rates and identifying malicious IPs. This ensures the implementation of accurate rate-limiting rules.

Multi-Layered Defense

DDoS mitigation is most effective when implemented as a multi-layered defense strategy. This involves combining various techniques, such as rate limiting, filtering, and behavioral analysis, to provide comprehensive protection against different types of DDoS attacks.

Always on DDoS  

Always-On DDoS protection software provides uninterrupted cloud-based protection. Your traffic should flow effortlessly through your DDoS mitigation provider’s network non-stop. No waiting for attacks to trigger the protection.

Latency

The always-on model of DDoS protection introduces notable latency due to routing all traffic through the provider’s network, impacting user communications. This latency depends on factors such as the location of scrubbing centers, distance from customer hosts, and connectivity.

To reduce latency, scrubbing centers need strategic placement near customers. This requires a globally distributed network with multiple centers at communication hubs for fast fiber access.

Origin Server Protection

Experiencing an excessive volume of requests can adversely impact your origin server. This surge in requests can lead to delays for visitors, escalate operational expenses—especially for cloud-based setups—and potentially disrupt the availability of your application. A DDoS protection tool should provide an additional layer of defense to thwart attackers from directly targeting your origin server.

Bot Protection

Improving bot protection is a big deal for DDoS protection. DDoS attacks often involve huge networks of bots, sometimes over 5,000 million of IPs.

To tackle this, many companies have either bought or added bot protection to their WAAP products, making it a crucial part of their DDoS defense.

Explore our analysis of “Mitigating a Botnet-Driven DDoS Attack on a Fortune 500 Company”

Time to Mitigation

When selecting anti-DDoS software, consider the time it takes to mitigate attacks, as the attack severity increases with duration. Solutions that detect and mitigate attacks within 30 seconds are ideal for enterprises.

The initial minute is crucial during an attack, with every second counting. Swift action from the protection solution protects more customers from adverse effects.

While a 10 to 20-second difference may seem minor, it can translate to significant potential financial losses.

Unmetered DDoS Protection

When seeking DDoS protection, prioritize solutions offering unmetered protection. Rather than being charged based on attack volume or duration, unmetered protection typically involves a flat monthly fee, ensuring comprehensive coverage for all attack types without additional charges.

This model is advantageous for long-term agreements and provides peace of mind without concerns about escalating costs during prolonged attacks.

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

In addition to considering pricing, it’s crucial to assess the capacity of scrubbing centers and the SLA, as these factors can significantly impact the effectiveness and reliability of the DDoS protection tools.

Dive into our detailed blog to discover the must-have features for effective DDoS protection.

13 Best DDoS Protection Software

1. AppTrana DDoS Mitigation
2. Cloudflare DDoS Protection Solution
3. Akamai Prolexic
4. Imperva DDoS Protection
5. Radware DDoS Protection
6. Arbor Cloud DDoS Protection
7. FortiDDoS
8. Fastly DDoS Protection & Mitigation
9. AWS Shield
10. Azure DDoS
11. F5 Silverline
12. Check Point DDoS Protector
13. Google Armor

A Quick Snapshot Comparison for the Top 13 DDoS Mitigation Software

Name of the DDoS Protection Software	Features	Gartner Peer Insights Ratings	Suitable for
AppTrana DDoS Mitigation	Behavior-Based DDoS Protection Bundled DDoS Mitigation Services Unmetered DDoS Protection ZERO false positive guarantee Origin Protection Managed Solution (24*7 Support) Highly scalable architecture. Sophisticated BOT protection	4.9	Teams relying on mission-critical applications, where downtime is not an option, will benefit from AppTrana’s behavioral-based analysis and always-on protection. The $250 plan offers around-the-clock managed services that include monitoring for false positives, reducing incidents DDoS and Bot monitoring. Plus, all plans feature unmetered DDoS and bot protection.
Cloudflare DDoS Protection and Mitigation Solution	Adaptive DDoS protection Standard, unmetered DDoS protection 24/7 email & phone support Optional add-on – Firewall (WAF), advanced bot mitigation site acceleration, & more	4.6	Cloudflare’s range of plans caters to businesses of all sizes, making it accessible to startups, SMEs, and large enterprises alike. Industries facing a high risk of DDoS attacks, such as finance, e-commerce, healthcare, and media, can rely on Cloudflare to safeguard their online assets and ensure business continuity. For organizations seeking a managed offering with comprehensive DDoS monitoring, false positive monitoring, and application-specific virtual patches, Cloudflare’s Enterprise plan provides premium support and features. Enablement of Origin protection is complicated and not easy.
Akamai Prolexic	Zero-second SLA Custom WAF rules Hybrid deployment options Live traffic insights Advanced routing and rate-based attack detection Integrated bot detection	4.4	Ideal for large enterprises seeking a blend of automated defense and expert intervention against DDoS threats. While managed services are available, the investment may be significant. It’s important to note that Akamai lacks unmetered DDoS protection. Origin protection is additional cost
Imperva DDoS Protection	Self-adaptive security policies Continuous, real-time monitoring Flexible deployment options Actionable threat insights SLA-backed protection	4.5	Imperva is best suited for scenarios where applications are hosted across multiple servers or in cloud environments with robust network control. Its all-in-one DDoS protection solution is particularly beneficial for protecting cloud-based websites and services.
Radware DDoS Protection	Automated zero-day DDoS Attack Protection Real-time Signature Creation Hybrid DDoS Security Flexible Deployment Options Behavioral-based Attack Mitigation	4.6	Radware’s DDoS protection suits users in the public cloud, enterprise, and service provider sectors, securing diverse infrastructures like data centers with an adaptable solution. Application layer DDoS protection is an add-on, potentially limiting defense against increasingly complex attacks targeting applications.
Arbor Cloud DDoS Protection	Support for virtual environments Integrated on-premise and cloud-based DDoS protection Real-time DDoS mitigation reporting and forensics Built-in SSL inspection to stop encrypted traffic Managed Arbor Networks APS (mAPS) service	4.4	Teams seeking managed DDoS protection services to optimize in-house resources. Arbor’s threat intelligence capabilities make it the premier choice for organizations seeking advanced threat detection. Its analytics-driven features enable comprehensive threat detection and understanding, exceeding basic security measures.
FortiDDoS	Fully Autonomous Mitigation High Small-Packet Inspection Botnet Defense Hybrid –  On-Premise/Cloud DDoS Mitigation	4.6	FortiDDoS is an optimal choice for a wide range of organizations, particularly those utilizing Fortinet’s on-premise solutions. Organizations with existing data centers, regulated industries unable to migrate to the cloud, latency-sensitive applications, and service providers with large customer bases find value in FortiDDoS.
Fastly DDoS Protection & Mitigation	Automatic Threat Detection Origin Server Protection Real-time Visibility & Control for DDoS Attack Traffic Ongoing Attack Mitigation Support Unlimited Traffic Overage Protection	4.5	Fastly is specifically tailored for those seeking exceptional performance delivered via its globally distributed edge cloud platform. Its distinct focus on edge cloud performance makes it suitable only for those prioritizing this aspect. However, Fastly’s managed service for critical security incidents is limited to the “ultimate” plan, and unmetered DDoS protection is not provided.
AWS Shield	Health-based Detection Global Availability Real-time Visibility into Ongoing Attacks Inline Attack Mitigation	4.4	AWS Shield DDoS protection integrates smoothly with AWS environments, making it ideal for businesses hosting applications on Amazon Web Services. However, it doesn’t protect resources outside of AWS, which can be a challenge for organizations with multi/hybrid cloud setups. Need Advanced Sheild for Managed service but is generally cost prohibitive for most starting at $3000/month.
Azure DDoS	Intelligent Traffic Profiling Adaptive Tuning Transparent Pricing Always-on Monitoring Easy-to-deploy	4.4	Organizations utilizing Azure cloud services for hosting vital applications and services. It accommodates businesses of any scale, offering thorough DDoS defense without requiring upfront commitments or intricate setup procedures. Advanced protection entails purchasing rule sets from alternative WAAP providers, with expenses tied to both rule sets and bandwidth utilization.
F5 Silverline	Multi-Tiered Defenses Flexible Deployment Global SOC 24x7x365 Monitoring and Reporting On-demand Scalability	4.5	For organizations needing continuous protection and minimal latency, F5’s flexible hybrid solution emerges as the ideal solution. However, managed services, come at a premium cost of $1500 per month.
Check Point DDoS Protector	Integrated On-Prem and Cloud DDoS Protection Industry-Leading SLAs Automated Zero-day Attack Detection Global Coverage Massive Capacity	4.4	Ideal for those seeking comprehensive security measures, combining multiple security modules on a single, hardware accelerated. Designed for enterprise and service provider environments, the DDoS Protector appliances offer adaptable connectivity and scalable mitigation capabilities. This approach also facilitates unified reporting, forensics, and compliance efforts.
Google Armor	Forwarding Rule Enforcement DDoS Response Support DDoS Attack Visibility Google Cloud Armor WAF AI backed automated rule suggestion for sophisticated attacks	4.4	Cloud Armor is ideal for GCP-native users in need of standard attack protection. However, DDoS mitigation can be pricey, starting at $3000 per month with a minimum one-year commitment. Advanced protection requires purchasing rule sets from other WAAP providers and incurring additional costs based on rule sets and bandwidth usage.

Detailed Review of 13 Best DDoS Protection Software

1. AppTrana – Unmetered DDoS Mitigation

AppTrana WAAP leads the industry with its behavior-based approach.  Its application layer DDoS protection auto-configures policies based on how the application behaves, rather than relying on static limits.

This adaptive approach enables AppTrana to detect zero-day attacks effectively while reducing false positives.

By default, three policies monitor traffic at the host, IP, and session levels, with initial configurations optimized for most applications. Within days of onboarding, these policies adapt based on observed behavior, providing optimal protection tailored to your application’s needs.

Key Features that Stand Out

Unmetered DDoS Protection

Unlike most vendors, where customers are charged based on the volume of attack traffic mitigated, AppTrana’s unmetered protection ensures that organizations can withstand DDoS attacks of any size or intensity without facing additional charges or usage restrictions.

Auto-Scaling

AppTrana’s DDoS protection grows as your business does, keeping up with changing traffic and new threats while staying fast and reliable.

Thanks to its powerful AWS setup, it’s made to handle huge attacks, up to 2.3 Tbps and 700K requests per second.

Granular Policies

AppTrana provides users with the ability to configure behaviour policies  for incoming traffic at various levels, including URI, IP, and geographical location. In case of a sudden surge of suspicious traffic from a specific country, AppTrana instantly identifies and blocks the threat’s source.

Moreover, it offers advanced URI-level DDoS policies for critical pages like Login and Checkout, ensuring uninterrupted business operations and protection against abnormal traffic surges.

According to our AppSec report, URL-specific rate limiting alone has been shown to prevent 47% of DDoS attacks.

Global Control

Blocking and allowing specific IP addresses is important for controlling server requests and user access. This is necessary when restricting access from certain countries or allowing legitimate bots.

Managing these lists across multiple files can be tough, but with global controls, companies can oversee them all in one place.

AppTrana makes this even easier by letting users enter multiple IP addresses or countries at once for all their applications.

DDoS Monitoring Service

Even with precise rate-limiting measures, vulnerabilities can still be exploited by hackers. Expert intervention is vital for identifying patterns and devising effective policies.

With AppTrana’s premium and enterprise plans, DDoS monitoring services are included, with the support team serving as an extended SOC to address risks to application availability.

Moreover, the managed services team implements custom rules for tactics like tarpitting and CAPTCHA.

Origin Protection

Attackers flood origin servers with traffic to disrupt access. Origin protection, available at no extra cost with AppTrana, limits requests to trusted sources, safeguarding against downtime and unauthorized access.

What is Best?

• Unmetered DDoS protection at no extra charge
• Behavior-based detection and protection
• Easy setup with DNS switch and AppTrana NAT IPs whitelisting
• Guaranteed zero false positives and 99.99% uptime
• Rate-limiting based on URI, IP, host, and geographic location
• Managed service team aids with custom rules, false positives, DDoS and latency monitoring

What could have been Better?

While AppTrana embraces cloud-based features, it may not align with enterprises valuing on-premises setups.

Who is it for?

AppTrana is probably the only DDoS solution that works well both for enterprises and SMBs. Especially as it offers unmetered, behavioural DDoS solution that is fully managed.

The disruptive managed DDoS offering starts at $250 a month per application.

Additionally, it also works very well for managed service providers who are quickly looking to bundle a managed WAF and DDoS solution for their customers.

2. Cloudflare DDoS Protection and Mitigation Solution

Cloudflare mitigated the most severe DDoS attack on record in 2023, reaching 71 million requests per second. Its comprehensive suite includes DDoS mitigation, WAF, secure DNS, and intelligent routing, providing versatile protection for applications running on TCP/UDP protocols.

Cloudflare stands at the forefront of DDoS protection services with its adaptive feature, allowing users to customize settings via DDoS Managed Rules.

Key Features that Stand Out

Flat-Rate Bandwidth Pricing

Surge pricing from DDoS vendors during attacks can financially impact businesses unfairly.

Like AppTrana, Cloudflare provides unlimited, unmetered DDoS attack mitigation without any fees for attack traffic.

With a flat monthly rate, users enjoy enterprise-grade protection and predictable billing, ensuring continuous website uptime.

Scalability

Through its 200+ data centers worldwide, Cloudflare delivers DDoS protection without legacy solutions’ latency and manual intervention.

Cloudflare’s global Anycast network, with a capacity exceeding 37 Tbps, surpasses the largest DDoS attack by over 30 times, ensuring robust protection against modern threats.

This scalable architecture effectively mitigates attacks of all sizes, adapting to the evolving threat landscape.

Centralized DDoS Protection System

Its centralized protection system vigilantly oversees the entire network, detecting and mitigating volumetric DDoS attacks dispersed across the globe.

Additionally, it synchronizes with customers’ web servers, enabling proactive mitigation to protect their online presence.

Global Threat Intelligence

Cloudflare employs advanced threat intelligence to combat complex DDoS attacks, analyzing traffic patterns and leveraging machine learning for proactive defense. With a vast network processing 2 trillion requests daily, Cloudflare’s threat intelligence is among the industry’s best.

What is Best?

• Cloudflare’s robust 248 Tbps network blocks 182 billion daily threats on average, including some of the largest DDoS attacks in history.
• Rapid DDoS attack mitigation in under 3 seconds.
• Deployment of preconfigured static rules in less than one second.
• Free tier with basic protection available.

What could have been Better?

• Enabling rate-limiting rules for DDoS incurs additional cost per request.
• Effective support capabilities are only available in the Enterprise plan, which may be crucial during sophisticated DDoS attacks.
• Unmetered DDoS protection is available with an add-on charging users $.05 for every 10,000 requests.
• Limited support for lower plans and potential pricing complexities for custom plans
• Lack of managed service

Who is it for?

Comprehensive security offerings include DDoS protection, WAF, Bot Mitigation, and  API security, making it well-suited for the SaaS industry and e-commerce.

Cloudflare’s DDoS protection is especially beneficial where minimizing downtime is critical for sustained operations and customer satisfaction.

3. Akamai Prolexic

Akamai leads the way with three special cloud tools (App & API Protector, Prolexic, Edge DNS) designed to stop DDoS attacks.

Known for their top-notch technology and global reach, Akamai ensures robust defense against these attacks.

By integrating seamlessly with existing security systems, they tailor protection to suit each organization’s needs.

In short, Akamai is the go-to for protecting online operations against malicious disruptions.

Key Features that Stand Out

Time to Mitigate

The timeframe between a DDoS attack initiation and the protection of your website or applications can vary, and not all vendor SLAs guarantee immediate defense.

Akamai distinguishes itself in this regard, claiming to deliver the quickest response time in the industry. They provide DDoS protection with zero-second mitigation and zero false positives.

This is made possible by their skilled team and advanced defense technologies.

Threat Intelligence

What sets Akamai apart is its extensive infrastructure, generating vast amounts of threat data that they distill into intelligence.

With over 233,000 servers across 130+ countries and traffic from 1,600 networks globally, Akamai produces significant internal and external threat intelligence daily.

However, as they don’t have visibility into every corner of the Internet, they also rely on third parties to enhance their threat intelligence.

Seamless Integration with Akamai Solutions

Prolexic seamlessly integrates with Akamai Edge DNS and Akamai DNS Shield NS53 for comprehensive DNS DDoS protection.

Together with other Akamai products like the Akamai App & API Protector, it fortifies your defense against DDoS attacks, ensuring uninterrupted availability of web applications and APIs even during high-volume incidents.

What is Best?

• Hybrid deployment options cater to varied infrastructure needs
• Live traffic insights and real-time notifications enable proactive threat response
• Integration with CDN services ensures optimized performance alongside security measures
• Customizable WAF rules provide tailored protection for web applications
• DDoS pricing model simplifies cost management by not charging additional fees for attack sizes or frequency

What could have been Better?

• Some of the more advanced features might require some technical know-how to make the most out of them.
• How quickly you get help from Akamai’s support team can vary depending on how much you’re paying and what kind of service agreement you have.
• Unmetered DDoS
• Origin protection being additional cost.

Who is it for?

Given Akamai’s strength in the CDN, its DDoS protection is tailored for businesses spanning entertainment, education, and software industries, guaranteeing uninterrupted content delivery and optimal user experience.

4. Imperva DDoS Protection

With a sharp focus on application-level security, Imperva stands out as the top choice for defending against sophisticated attacks aimed at individual applications.

Offering a multi-layered defense approach, Imperva’s suite of web security solutions, including WAF, Advanced Bot Protection, DDoS Protection, and API Security, ensures comprehensive protection against application-layer attacks.

Key Features that Stand Out

Comprehensive Protection

Imperva pioneers a comprehensive approach with three core DDoS defenses:

1. DDoS Protection for Websites automatically detects and mitigates application layer attacks
2. DDoS Protection for Networks provides continuous or on-demand defense for entire network infrastructure or subnets
3. DDoS Protection for Individual IPs is particularly ideal for cloud-based organizations looking to avoid the impact of DDoS attacks, including downtime and disruption.

Visibility with Analytics

With maximum visibility and instant attack notifications via email, SMS, and mobile apps, Imperva’s DDoS protection service simplifies network traffic monitoring and application analytics.

Imperva goes beyond just visibility, consolidating numerous events into actionable insights. Integrated Attack Analytics links DDoS attacks with other concurrent attack vectors, uncovering hidden threats like account takeover or phishing.

3-Second SLA

DDoS attacks are unpredictable and can cause website or network downtime within minutes, while recovery may take hours.

Imperva stands out as the only provider offering a 3-second SLA guarantee for detecting and blocking any attack, regardless of size or duration, with typical mitigation in less than one second.

It’s worth noting that this feature is exclusively available in their enterprise plans.

Additionally, users have the flexibility to enhance their security posture with self-service custom security policies whenever needed.

On-demand and Always-on Protection

Whether you require protection only during attacks or continuous, instant defense, Imperva has you covered. With their on-demand and always-on solutions, you can rest assured knowing your application is protected against DDoS threats, backed by industry-leading SLAs for uptime and mitigation speed.

What is Best?

• Industry-leading 99.999% network uptime SLA
• Expertise in BGP setup and configuration management
• Enhanced DNS performance and control
• Flexible deployment options
• Single-stack architecture reduces latency
• Three-second mitigation SLA for all DDoS attacks

What could have been Better?

• DDoS monitoring is addon
• Limited customization options.
• Premium pricing may deter smaller users.
• Integration challenges with existing infrastructure.
• Scalability requires additional licenses for more websites

Who is it for?

It’s designed for businesses in search of a comprehensive security solution, combining CDN, WAF, DDoS, and Advanced Bot Protection in one package.

Its premium pricing may be a concern, particularly for smaller enterprises with budget constraints.

For SMBs looking for cost-effective options, consider AppTrana WAAP that starts from $99.

5. Radware DDoS Protection

Radware offers advanced DDoS protection solutions, integrating patented technologies for detection, mitigation, and reporting.

Catering to businesses of all sizes, Radware’s Attack Mitigation Solution (AMS) offers hybrid DDoS protection, combining always-on detection and mitigation and 24/7 cyberattack security.

Key Features that Stand Out

Adaptive Solution

At Radware, like AppTrana, their strategy hinges on a behavioral-based solution. This approach involves automatic signature creation to counter various threats, application-layer threats, volumetric assaults, zero-day risks, and encrypted attacks.

By understanding legitimate user behavior and creating a baseline, Radware’s system promptly detects and blocks deviations from expected patterns.

Web DDoS Protection

Radware’s Web DDoS Protection extends beyond infrastructure-based DDoS defense, offering various add-ons for comprehensive, customizable protection.  These include protection against various application layer (L7) DDoS attacks.

Radware provides Cloud Web DDoS Protection for Cloud DDoS Protection users, offering an extra layer of security against sophisticated Web DDoS Tsunami attacks.

It’s worth noting that these advanced features are available as add-ons to the base protection.

DefensePro X

Radware’s DefensePro X comprehensive protection includes anti-DDoS, network behavioral analysis (NBA), intrusion prevention system (IPS), and SSL attack protection (DefenseSSL).

With adaptive behavioral analysis and real-time threat intelligence from Radware’s ERT, DefensePro blocks sophisticated attacks. Subscriptions for additional applications and network protection enhance its defense capabilities.

Hybrid Deployment

Struggling to secure your applications during the cloud transition?

Radware’s hybrid Cloud DDoS Protection Service seamlessly integrates with your existing on-premise DDoS protection device, providing flexible deployment options to meet your specific needs.

What is Best?

• Comprehensive and adaptable protection
• Always-on and on-demand availability
• Minimized disruption with out-of-path mitigation
• Round-the-clock support from Radware ERT
• Protection against TLS-based attacks

What could have been Better?

• Custom integrations may require specialized support
• Configuring and setting up may demand technical proficiency
• Pricing could be relatively high
• Possibility of false positives blocking legitimate traffic

Who is it for?

Radware caters to organizations seeking adaptable, always-on security solutions backed by round-the-clock support from their Emergency Response Team (ERT).

It’s ideal for industries like telecommunications, finance, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and enterprise.

Those seeking comprehensive defense against increasingly complex application-targeted attacks may find its application layer protection add-on limiting.

6. Arbor Cloud DDoS Protection

Arbor Networks, now part of NETSCOUT, also focuses on protecting against DDoS attacks. They offer solutions for spotting threats worldwide, understanding network activity, and stopping attacks.

Their main product, Arbor Cloud, quickly defends against large-scale attacks on internet speed and slow attacks on websites and systems.

Key Features that Stand Out

Arbor Edge Defense

AED stands out as the top choice for on-premises DDoS attack detection and defense, recognized for its stateless design.

Integrating cloud-based mitigation like Arbor Cloud with AED provides unparalleled protection against various attack types, including volumetric assaults, state-exhaustion attacks, and application-layer DDoS threats.

This combined approach effectively blocks malicious traffic using IoCs, ensuring comprehensive security coverage.

Threat Intelligence

NETSCOUT’s ATLAS Intelligence Feed, augmented by millions of reputation-based IoCs (Indicators of Compromise) and insights from third-party sources, enhances Arbor’s entire product line.

With this comprehensive threat intelligence, Arbor’s solutions deliver proactive defense against evolving cyber threats across diverse attack vectors.

Managed DDoS Protection

NETSCOUT’s industry-leading security experts provide round-the-clock support for Arbor’s DDoS protection services.

This enables organizations to outsource their entire DDoS protection or part of it, freeing up their in-house staff to focus on other priorities while ensuring optimal protection against cyber threats.

What is Best?

• Comprehensive intelligence for advanced threat detection
• Detailed reporting and insights
• Support for virtual and cloud environments
• Real-time DDoS mitigation and forensics
• Built-in SSL inspection for encrypted traffic blocking

What could have been Better?

• Complexity and curve in learning
• Dependency on the vendor for data analysis and reporting
• Integration issues with automation and orchestration

Who is it for?

Arbor stands out for its ability not only to detect threats but also to provide insights into their nature, empowering organizations with deeper understanding and proactive defense strategies.

Arbor’s solution, while offering robust DDoS detection and insights, is best utilized in combination with a WAF for comprehensive protection.

7.  FortiDDoS

FortiDDoS, a robust DDoS protection solution supported with dedicated on-site hardware complemented by in-cloud backup.

Leveraging Verisign’s DDoS cloud solution, FortiDDoS employs behavior-based protection, eliminating reliance on signature files and minimizing false-positive detections.

Key Features that Stand Out

DDoS Protection Appliances

FortiDDoS appliances, including models such as FortiDDoS-400B to FortiDDoS-2000B, feature an advanced behavior-based attack mitigation engine. This technology enables the appliances to detect and mitigate a wide range of attacks by analyzing patterns and intentions, rather than relying solely on content inspection.

Notably, these appliances do not require signatures, making them highly effective against zero-day attacks. Additionally, they support network virtualization and provide automatic and continuous traffic baselining, ensuring robust protection against evolving threats.

Minimize False Positive and Latency

Fortigate FortiDDoS has incredibly fast response times, with almost 40% lower latency than other solutions. Thanks to its custom ASICs, it maintains less than 26 microseconds of delay, ensuring critical systems and applications stay available without interruptions. Plus, it quickly spots anomalies, requiring less management time.

Moreover, FortiDDoS minimizes the risk of “false positives” by reevaluating attacks, ensuring that legitimate traffic remains uninterrupted.

Autonomous DDoS Protection

FortiDDoS boasts autonomous DDoS protection capabilities, making decisions independently without manual intervention.

Unlike other methods, there’s no need to adjust settings or manually add signatures or ACLs during attacks. Even during mitigation, FortiDDoS continues to monitor parameters, instantly reacting to any added or changed attack vectors.

What is Best?

• Protecting against both known and zero-day attacks effortlessly
• Minimizing false positives through continuous attack reassessment
• Seamlessly integrating into any environment via its RESTful API

What could have been Better?

• Pricing lacks transparency
• Hardware orientation may not suit small businesses or individual users
• Deployment and maintenance of hardware appliances could be complex
• The logging system and installation process could be improved

Who is it for?

Fortinet DDoS is well-suited for latency-sensitive critical applications that demand low latency and require a high degree of control over performance.

It serves regulated industries that face constraints in migrating their workloads to the cloud, providing them with robust on-premise DDoS protection.

8.  Fastly DDoS Protection & Mitigation

Fastly’s DDoS protection services offer comprehensive defense for HTTP and HTTPS traffic, complementing their edge cloud service with annual renewal terms.

With unmetered DDoS protection, there are no limits on the number or size of attacks within a month, providing robust security for your online assets.

Key Features that Stand Out

Attribute Unmasking

Fastly employs “Attribute Unmasking,” a technique that swiftly extracts accurate fingerprints from traffic, even during complex attacks. By analyzing various characteristics such as Layer 3 and Layer 4 headers, TLS information, and Layer 7 details, this system identifies patterns matching attack profiles over time.

False Positive Management

Similar to AppTrana WAAP, Fastly recognizes the issue of false positives in security systems.

To address this concern, they employ two types of security rules. The first set, which includes basic rules, remains constantly active.

The second set consists of Attribute Unmasking rules, highly effective yet prone to false positives due to their dynamic nature. These rules are selectively applied only during active attacks, minimizing the possibility of blocking legitimate traffic during non-attack periods.

Origin Server Protection

Fastly’s Origin Cloaking feature acts as a shield for your origin servers, ensuring comprehensive protection against threats like bypassing the Fastly WAF and direct DDoS attacks. By concealing the IP addresses of your origin servers, it effectively prevents unauthorized access and shields them from potential harm.

What is Best?

• Choose the payment plan that aligns with your needs
• Protect your origin server from multi-layer attacks
• Access 24/7 cybersecurity expertise and support
• Multi-terabit-per-second network capacity

What could have been Better?

• Starter and advantage plans do not include managed services
• Phone and chat support is exclusive to the ultimate plan
• Rate-limiting customizations to prevent DDoS attacks have limited options
• Functionality beyond edge computing capabilities is restricted

Who is it for?

Like Akamai, Fastly also specializes in CDN so media companies, online streaming providers, and gaming companies would be served well with Fastly.

Users seeking extensive customization options may prefer alternative solutions like AppTrana offering greater flexibility.

9.  AWS Shield

With AWS Shield, Amazon Web Services offers a robust and comprehensive solution to protect your applications against DDoS attacks.

AWS Shield comes in two tiers: Standard and Advanced, each tailored to meet varying security needs. Shield Standard, provided automatically to all AWS customers at no extra cost, fortifies your infrastructure against common network and transport layer DDoS attacks.

For enhanced protection, AWS Shield Advanced delivers advanced capabilities, including automatic mitigation at layer 7 utilizing the WAF for web applications.

Key Features that Stand Out

Automatic Application Layer DDoS Protection

AWS Shield Advanced offers automatic application layer (L7) DDoS mitigation, requiring no manual intervention from you or the AWS SRT.

It can initiate WAF rules within your WebACLs to counteract attacks automatically, or you can activate them in count-only mode. This fast response capability ensures timely prevention of application downtime caused by L7 DDoS attacks.

Health-based Detection

AWS Shield Advanced improves attack detection and mitigation by utilizing your application’s health status. By linking Route 53 health checks to Shield Advanced-protected resources, it swiftly identifies attacks and reduces false positives.

Furthermore, with resources health status, the AWS DDoS Response Team rapidly activates support when your application faces disruptions during an attack.

Real-time Attack Notification

AWS Shield Advanced offers full visibility into DDoS attacks, providing timely notifications via Amazon CloudWatch. Detailed diagnostics are accessible through the AWS WAF and AWS Shield console or APIs, including a summary of past attacks for your review.

Integration with Other AWS Services

AWS Shield seamlessly coordinates with essential AWS services like AWS WAF, Amazon CloudFront, and Amazon Route 53, delivering a comprehensive security framework.

What is Best?

• Easy rule setup via AWS console
• Customizable traffic rules for web apps
• Shield Advanced covers AWS WAF costs
• Seamless integration with AWS services
• Flexible access control with IP and resource-based ACLs

What could have been Better?

• Limited protection for resources outside AWS
• Basic DDoS defense lacking advanced AI-based learning
• Risk of vendor lock-in with minimal hybrid/multi-cloud support
• AWS Shield Advanced features are priced at $3,000 monthly per organization, with a required one-year commitment by Amazon.

Who is it for?

AWS Shield is suitable for organizations with a single-cloud AWS infrastructure and less dependency on multi/hybrid cloud setups.

Businesses deeply integrated into AWS infrastructure can leverage the synergy between AWS Shield and existing AWS services to ensure robust, tailored security.

10. Azure DDoS Protection

With Azure DDoS Protection, Microsoft offers a robust solution to defend your Azure resources against such attacks.

It operates at both the infrastructure and application levels, providing always-on monitoring and automatic mitigation to ensure the availability and performance of your services.

Key Features that Stand Out

Adaptive Tuning

Azure DDoS Protection employs intelligent traffic profiling to learn your application’s traffic patterns over time. This adaptive tuning ensures that the protection profile is continuously updated to match the evolving needs of your service, enhancing its effectiveness against emerging threats.

Interoperability with Azure Services

Azure DDoS Protection seamlessly integrates with other Azure services, such as Azure Monitor for alerting and insights, and Azure Defender for security posture management. This comprehensive approach enables you to monitor, analyze, and respond to DDoS threats effectively within the Azure ecosystem.

Unmetered DDoS Protection

With Azure DDoS Protection, you benefit from unmetered protection against DDoS attacks. Hence, there are no caps on the volume of traffic mitigated, providing peace of mind during sudden spikes in malicious activity.

Rich Telemetry and Alerting

Azure DDoS Protection exposes rich telemetry data via Azure Monitor, allowing you to monitor your service’s health and detect anomalous behavior indicative of DDoS attacks. Configurable alerts enable proactive response to potential threats, minimizing downtime and disruption.

What is Best?

• Seamlessly integrates with Azure services
• Responds swiftly to evolving threats with adaptive tuning and intelligent traffic profiling
• Offers clear and predictable pricing without hidden fees

What could have been Better?

• Limited protection for customer workloads
• Utilizing Azure Sentinel for reporting and analysis increases solution costs
• Standard option restricts protection to Virtual Network-connected Azure resources
• Similar to AWS, their DDoS service incurs costs of approximately $3,000 per month
• Requires additional tools for bot management, API security, and behavioral analysis

Who is it for?

Organizations utilizing Azure cloud services for hosting vital applications and services. It accommodates businesses of any scale, offering thorough DDoS defense without requiring upfront commitments or intricate setup procedures.

Advanced protection entails purchasing rule sets from alternative WAAP providers, with expenses tied to both rule sets and bandwidth utilization.

Check out the top 17 WAAP providers in the market and analyze their features, benefits, and limitations.

11. F5 Distributed Cloud DDoS Mitigation Service

F5’s cloud-based DDoS mitigation solution is a fully managed service, meaning that F5 handles all aspects of the DDoS protection process, from detection to mitigation.

At the heart of F5’s DDoS Protection lies a precisely engineered global network infrastructure.

F5 also offers hybrid deployment options, allowing businesses to combine on-premises DDoS defense with cloud-based scrubbing.

Key Features that Stand Out

Granular Control and Collaboration

F5 gives customers great control, allowing them to work closely with SOC engineers to create custom strategies for dealing with issues.

Users can adjust rate limits and use specific defenses to match their risks, giving them flexibility and control.

Sub-Second Attack Detection

In DDoS defense, time matters a lot, and F5 excels at it. With ultra-fast attack detection, geo-tracking, smart signaling, and hardware support, F5 quickly finds and stops threats, keeping downtime low.

Automated Behavioral Mitigation

Recognizing the relentless evolution of attack vectors, F5 adopts a proactive stance with automated behavioral mitigation. Beyond static signatures, dynamic signature generation combats evasive threats such as low-and-slow attacks, improving defenses with agility and efficacy.

What is Best?

• Attack mitigation capacity surpassing 4.0 Tbps
• Dedicated L7 scrubbing infrastructures
• Enhanced attack mitigation insights
• Comprehensive data analysis

What could have been Better?

• Silverline Threat Intelligence as an add-on service
• Restricting access to advanced capabilities like Application Rate Limiting based on subscription tiers may limit the effectiveness of the solution.

Who is it for?

F5 Silverline is tailored for organizations prioritizing flexible hybrid defense solutions, enabling them to strike a balance between cloud agility and hardware resilience.

Enterprises leveraging F5’s load balancers stand to gain significant advantages from evaluating F5 DDoS solutions.

Additionally, businesses in the software and IT services sectors could gain substantial benefits from its offerings.

12. Check Point DDoS Protector

Check Point’s DDoS Protector is a top-notch defense system that shields organizations from new and growing online threats.

It’s like having four defenders in one: anti-DDoS, network watcher, intrusion preventer, and SSL-attack blocker. This all-in-one protection ensures that businesses stay safe from various cyber threats, keeping their online operations running smoothly.

Key Features that Stand Out

Multiple Detection and Mitigation Modules

Check Point’s DDoS Protector stands out with its comprehensive array of detection and mitigation modules.

These modules work together to identify and neutralize various types of attacks, ranging from volumetric DDoS attacks to advanced application layer threats.

The adaptive behavioral analysis module continuously monitors network traffic patterns, enabling the system to detect deviations indicative of an attack. Challenge-response technologies provide an additional layer of defense by distinguishing between legitimate and malicious traffic through interactive verification mechanisms.

Furthermore, signature detection mechanisms enhance the solution’s ability to recognize known attack patterns, ensuring swift and accurate mitigation responses.

Smart SSL Attack Mitigation

SSL-based DDoS attacks are a big problem for organizations. Check Point tackles this with its Smart SSL Attack Mitigation tech, providing strong defense without slowing things down or risking security.

Unlike other methods needing full SSL keys, Check Point’s solution works well without them, keeping sensitive info safe.

Scalable Deployment Options

Check Point’s DDoS Protector is flexible to fit different organizational setups. It can be used inline, out-of-path (OoP), or in a scrubbing center, adjusting easily to network structure and defense requirements.

Inline setup checks and stops traffic immediately, reducing delays. Out-of-path setup adds scalability without changing existing networks.

What is Best?

• Holistic DDoS protection with behavior-based detection and automatic signature generation
• Flexible deployment options: on-demand, always-on, or hybrid
• Dedicated Emergency Response Team for guidance, strategy, and alerts during attacks.
• Backed by 16 global scrubbing centers, ensuring robust mitigation capabilities

What could have been Better?

There is a lack of ability to upload data for the blacklist/whitelist in bulk. Other DDoS mitigation competitors like AppTrana, which allows users to enter a series of IP addresses for blacklisting/whitelisting.

Who is it for?

The DDoS Protector appliances are best suited for enterprise and service provider deployments, offering flexible connectivity and powerful mitigation capabilities.

With bandwidth mitigation ranging from 6 to 400 Gbps, they deliver strong protection. Users can further bolster security with Cloud DDoS Protector Services.

13. Google Armor

Google Cloud Armor has two tiers: Standard and Managed Protection Plus. The standard gives basic DDoS protection and WAF features. Managed Protection Plus offers more, like setting rules with third-party IP lists, adapting with machine learning, and getting expert help from Google during attacks.

Key Features that Stand Out

Scalable DDoS Protection

Google Cloud Armor offers scalable DDoS protection, leveraging Google’s global infrastructure and sophisticated mitigation techniques to defend against application-layer attacks.

Adaptive DDoS Protection

One of the standout features of Google Cloud Armor is its adaptive protection mechanism, powered by machine learning. This innovative approach enables the detection and mitigation of Layer 7 DDoS attacks, such as HTTP floods, by analyzing anomalous activity patterns in real time.

Note that full adaptive protection alerts are exclusively accessible through a subscription to Google Cloud Armor Managed Protection Plus. Without this subscription, you will receive only a basic alert, lacking an attack signature or the capability to deploy a suggested rule.

Integration and Compatibility

Google Cloud Armor seamlessly integrates with various Google Cloud services, including load balancing, serverless applications, Cloud CDN, GKE, and Identity-Aware Proxy. This extensive integration ensures comprehensive protection across different cloud environments and architectures.

What is Best?

• Access DDoS protection and WAF features at the scale of Google.
• Identify and mitigate attacks targeting your Cloud Load Balancing workloads.
• Utilize Adaptive Protection, powered by ML, to detect and block Layer 7 DDoS attacks efficiently

What could have been Better?

• Managed Protection Plus, comes at an additional cost
• Subscription starts at $3000 per month with a one-year commitment
• Lacks key capabilities like API protection

Who is it for?

Cloud Armor suits SMBs hosted on GCP (Google Cloud Platform) seeking basic anti-DDoS capabilities. However, for robust protection against advanced attacks or applications in multi-cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments, platform-agnostic solutions like AppTrana may be necessary.

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