Google Project Shield: Protection for Eligible Organizations

Project Shield offers enterprise-grade DDoS protection free to qualifying organizations. News sites, human rights organizations, and election-related websites receive priority eligibility. Google created this program recognizing that these organizations face disproportionate attacks while lacking resources for commercial protection.

The service leverages Google's massive global infrastructure to absorb attacks of any size. Integration with Google's caching infrastructure provides additional performance benefits. Reverse proxy architecture hides origin servers while serving cached content during attacks. This approach maintains availability even under sustained assault.

Technical capabilities match or exceed many commercial services. Protection covers all attack types including volumetric, protocol, and application-layer attacks. Google's machine learning systems identify and adapt to new attack patterns automatically. Real-time attack dashboards provide visibility into ongoing threats. These enterprise features come without any cost to eligible organizations.

Eligibility requirements limit availability to specific organization types. Commercial businesses, personal blogs, and general websites don't qualify. Application processes require verification of organizational mission and attack history. Approval isn't guaranteed even for seemingly eligible organizations. These restrictions mean most businesses must look elsewhere for free protection.