Using CDNs for DDoS Mitigation

Content Delivery Networks offer powerful DDoS mitigation capabilities through their distributed architecture. CDNs absorb attacks across global networks, preventing traffic from reaching origin servers. Configure aggressive caching to serve content even when origin servers are under attack. Enable CDN-based security features like rate limiting and geo-blocking.

CDN-based Web Application Firewalls provide application-layer protection during attacks. Configure WAF rules to block malicious requests, SQL injection attempts, and other application attacks. Many CDNs offer managed WAF rulesets updated regularly to address emerging threats. Custom rules address specific vulnerabilities in your applications.

Origin cloaking hides real server IP addresses behind CDN networks. Configure applications to accept connections only from CDN edge servers. This approach prevents attackers from bypassing CDN protection by targeting origin servers directly. Implement IP whitelisting and authentication between CDN and origin servers.

Cache warming ensures content availability during attacks. Proactively push critical content to CDN edge servers before attacks impact origin infrastructure. Configure long cache times for static content and implement cache versioning for updates. Warm caches provide service continuity even during severe attacks.