Wiki

CDN and Security

CDN or Content Delivery Network is a group of servers distributed globally that work together to provide faster and more efficient content delivery. CDN’s not only improve website performance but also add an extra security layer to a website. The security layer is added by using various security features provided by CDN’s.

How does it work?

CDN’s work by caching the website content on their servers that are distributed globally. When a user requests a page from a website, the CDN’s server closest to the user’s location serves the request. This results in faster content delivery and reduces latency.

Why is it a good idea to add this security layer?

CDN’s provide various security features that protect websites from various types of cyber attacks.

DDoS Protection

CDN’s provide protection against DDoS attacks by absorbing the traffic and distributing it across multiple servers. This ensures that the website remains online and accessible to users.

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

CDN’s provide WAF that protects websites from common web application attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). The WAF is configured to block malicious traffic before it reaches the website.

SSL/TLS Encryption

CDN’s provide SSL/TLS encryption that ensures that the data between the user’s browser and the website is encrypted. This protects sensitive user data such as login credentials and credit card details.

Obscures the real server IP

The CDN is obscuring your website servers real IP address which means all attacks will be directed to the CDN and not your server.

Which types of attacks does it protect against?

CDN’s protect websites from various types of attacks such as DDoS attacks, SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.

In conclusion, CDN’s not only improve website performance but also provide an extra layer of security. By using various security features provided by CDN’s, websites can protect themselves from various types of cyber attacks.