In the past, DDoS attacks have not been a major concern for low-profile organizations. Larger organizations have dealt with them, but basic protection has been enough to prevent disaster. However, DDoS attacks are growing in both scale and duration, making them more difficult to handle. Additionally, the attacks are becoming cheaper and easier to launch, further contributing to the uptick.
A hybrid DDoS protection solution may be the best way to keep your organization safe from these attacks. Combining performance with scalability, a hybrid solution helps prevent attacks without hindering legitimate traffic.
What is Hybrid DDoS Protection?
Typically, there are two types of DDoS protection available: on-premise network solutions and cloud-based DDoS protection. Both types are valuable, but they serve different needs and one may be more appropriate for an organization than the other.
On-premises DDoS solutions:
- Rely on local hardware to redirect or block bot traffic. You can build your solution in a way that works for your organization.
- Can be very reliable. Your overall control is high with on-premises solutions because you are storing, administering, and supporting all of the infrastructure.
- Have less of an impact on loading speeds than cloud-based solutions. On-premises protection reduces the latency of network traffic. This is in part because there is no backhauling to the traffic scrubbing center.
Cloud-based DDoS protection:
- Is more scalable than on-premises solutions. The amount of resources and network bandwidth you have can be raised or lowered depending on your traffic needs. This can be done much more quickly than an on-premises solution as the infrastructure is already in place. The only change you have to make is the amount of money you’re spending.
- Tend to be lower maintenance. Because you pay a provider for cloud-based DDoS protection, that provider is keeping the infrastructure up-to-date and running smoothly. On-premises solutions may be more controllable, but they also require more of your team’s time and energy.
- May have higher latency. You should always check your DDoS protection provider’s points of presence and determine whether they are close enough to your data centers. A point of presence that is too far away will result in high latency and be far less effective at DDoS mitigation than a more local PoP or on-premises solutions.
Both options have their benefits and drawbacks, so many organizations are turning to a hybrid model. By combining on-premises advantages, like low latency, with cloud scalability, organizations increase their ability to withstand DDoS attacks.
Why Hybrid Protection May Be Necessary
Traditional models have worked well for most companies in the past, but both poorly secured devices and DDoS-as-a-Service are becoming more common, which has in turn increased the frequency and intensity of DDoS attacks. IoT devices with limited security controls make the perfect addition to a malicious actor’s botnet, and that actor can then sell his services to a would-be attacker who might not otherwise have the ability to launch an attack.
Because DDoS attacks are growing larger, the scalability offered by cloud-based solutions is imperative. DDoS protection has to be able to quickly redirect massive amounts of traffic without allowing it to clog up your network and monopolize your resources.
However, the activity of your DDoS protection can’t impact your application’s performance. Even as traffic is rerouted, legitimate users or customers must be able to access your application and, if applicable, their data. Failing to do this could have catastrophic consequences, from large numbers of lost users to GDPR or CCPA violations.
So, the low-latency and high performance permitted by local DDoS solutions is essential. At the same time, to effectively defend against modern DDoS attacks, organizations need to have a mitigation solution that can handle enormous traffic increases while keeping the network open to legitimate traffic.
Protecting Your Organization Against DDoS Attacks
To achieve this, look for a hybrid solution with PoPs that are close enough to both your data centers and your customer base to have minimal effects on your latency. Consider DDoS solutions that address both the network layer and the application layer, which will handle two different types of DDoS attacks.
The network layer attacks are typically much more subtle, so it’s important to find a solution that offers traffic monitoring. It should also have the adaptability to detect unusual but unknown suspicious traffic patterns. Other essential features include DNS protection and multiple traffic inspection methods.
The right DDoS solution provides both strong protection and minimizes network latency. However, when you are looking for the right hybrid DDoS protection for your organization, consider a fully integrated solution that offers other security tools. Additional tools like WAFs, RASPs, automated monitoring and alerts, and data visibility features can all contribute to an effective security solution.
With an effective hybrid model in place as well as other integrated security tools, you can vastly reduce your risk of a DDoS attack. While these tools are not inexpensive, they are far more cost-effective than a wait-and-see approach given the astronomical costs associated with successful DDoS attacks.
