Prevent DDoS Attacks – AWS Shield
Introduction
In the digital age, security has become one of the top priorities in business. Protecting access to websites, applications, and data is crucial for maintaining reliability and providing a sense of security to customers and partners. To address these security challenges, AWS offers a powerful tool called AWS Shield. Now, let’s take a closer look at AWS Shield!
What is AWS Shield
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a type of cyberattack against computer systems or networks. The primary goal of this attack is to render the targeted website, application, or network service unavailable. DDoS attacks involve flooding the target with a massive volume of traffic or requests, leading to resource exhaustion and service overload. By doing so, they hinder responses to legitimate user requests, disrupting the target.
AWS Shield is a security service provided by Amazon Web Services, designed primarily to protect web applications and network infrastructure from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
AWS Shield has primarily two main types:
- AWS Shield Standard: AWS Shield Standard is a basic DDoS protection service offered to all AWS customers. This service is automatically applied to the entire AWS infrastructure and provides protection against DDoS attacks. AWS Shield Standard comes with effective measures to protect against common DDoS attacks and is provided to all customers using AWS resources at no additional cost.
- AWS Shield Advanced: AWS Shield Advanced is a premium service that offers more advanced DDoS protection and security services. This service provides protection against sophisticated DDoS attacks, traffic analysis, customization of security rules, and support from AWS security experts. AWS Shield Advanced is recommended for organizations running business-critical applications and web services. This service comes with a monthly fee.
AWS Shield Advanced is offered in the following two plans:
- Standard Plan: Provides basic DDoS protection and security services.
- Advanced Plan: Offers advanced DDoS protection, traffic analysis, customization of security rules, and support from AWS security experts.
The advantages of AWS Shield
AWS Shield is an AWS DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection service, and here are the main benefits of AWS Shield:
- Advanced DDoS Defense: AWS Shield provides advanced protection against DDoS attacks. This includes defense against high-volume traffic, protection from resource overloading, and safeguarding against multiple attack vectors. This results in improved service availability and minimized downtime.
- Automated Protection: AWS Shield automatically detects DDoS attacks and enacts appropriate protective measures. This enables rapid response even when attacks occur. Additionally, AWS Shield Standard is provided to all AWS customers and is automatically applied, requiring no additional setup.
- Advanced Features of AWS Shield Advanced: AWS Shield Advanced offers further advanced DDoS defense features. These include real-time traffic analysis, customization of security rules for attack traffic, and support from AWS security experts. It’s beneficial for organizations operating business-critical applications.
- Cost-Effective: AWS Shield Standard is provided for free to all customers using AWS resources. While AWS Shield Advanced comes with a fee, the advanced protection and support it offers make it cost-effective.
- Integrated Security: AWS Shield is integrated into the AWS security ecosystem, allowing integration with other AWS security services. This enables the creation of a comprehensive security strategy, protecting the AWS environment effectively.
Conclusion
AWS Shield is a critical tool for enhancing cloud security and improving business availability. Protection against DDoS attacks is an essential element in today’s online businesses, and AWS Shield provides that protection. When considering AWS Shield, it’s important to understand the differences between Standard and Advanced plans and choose the one that fits your business needs. Additionally, by combining AWS Shield with other AWS security services, you can build a comprehensive security strategy.
