Free DDoS Protection Options

Several providers offer free DDoS protection tiers suitable for small business needs. Cloudflare's free plan includes unmetered DDoS protection, SSL certificates, and basic CDN services. While lacking advanced features, it provides substantial protection against common attacks. Implementation requires only DNS changes, making deployment accessible to non-technical users.

Project Shield by Google offers free DDoS protection for news, human rights, and election-related websites. Qualifying organizations receive enterprise-grade protection at no cost. The service includes caching, SSL support, and Google's massive infrastructure. Small independent news sites and nonprofit organizations should investigate eligibility.

AWS Shield Standard provides automatic DDoS protection for services hosted on Amazon Web Services. All AWS customers receive this protection without additional charges. While basic compared to Shield Advanced, it defends against common network and transport layer attacks. Small businesses already using AWS gain meaningful protection without configuration changes.

Free DNS services often include basic DDoS protection. Providers like Cloudflare DNS, Quad9, and OpenDNS filter malicious traffic at the DNS level. While not comprehensive DDoS protection, DNS filtering blocks many attack vectors. Implementing protected DNS requires minimal technical knowledge and provides immediate security improvements.