In today’s digital landscape, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks have become a prevalent threat to businesses and applications. These attacks can disrupt services, cause downtime, and lead to significant financial and reputational damage. Microsoft Azure offers robust DDoS protection solutions designed to safeguard your applications and ensure business continuity. In this blog, we will explore Azure DDoS Protection, its features, and how to implement it effectively for your applications.
Understanding DDoS Attacks
DDoS attacks overwhelm a target with a massive volume of traffic, rendering it unavailable to legitimate users. These attacks can take various forms, including:
1. Volumetric Attacks: Flood the network with excessive traffic.
2. Protocol Attacks: Exploit vulnerabilities in network protocols.
3. Application Layer Attacks: Target specific applications or services.
Introduction to Azure DDoS Protection
Azure DDoS Protection provides comprehensive defense against DDoS attacks. It comes in two tiers: DDoS IP Protection and DDoS Network Protection
- DDoS IP Protection: DDoS IP Protection is a pay-per-protected IP model. While DDoS IP Protection and DDoS Network Protection share the same fundamental technical capabilities, DDoS IP Protection will offer additional value-added services such as cost protection, discounts on WAF, and DDoS quick response support.
- DDoS Network Protection: By combining application design best practices with Azure DDoS Network Protection, you can protect yourself against DDoS attacks with improved DDoS mitigation capabilities. Within a virtual network, it is automatically adjusted to assist safeguard your unique Azure resources.
Azure DDoS Protection Tier Comparison
| Feature | DDoS IP Protection | DDoS Network Protection |
|---|---|---|
| Active traffic monitoring & always on detection | Yes | Yes |
| L3/L4 Automatic attack mitigation | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic attack mitigation | Yes | Yes |
| Application based mitigation policies | Yes | Yes |
| Metrics & alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Mitigation reports | Yes | Yes |
| Mitigation flow logs | Yes | Yes |
| Mitigation policies tuned to customers application | Yes | Yes |
| Integration with Firewall Manager | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Sentinel data connector and workbook | Yes | Yes |
| Protection of resources across subscriptions in a tenant | Yes | Yes |
| Public IP Standard tier protection | Yes | Yes |
| Public IP Basic tier protection | No | Yes |
| DDoS rapid response support | Not available | Yes |
| Cost protection | Not available | Yes |
| WAF discount | Not available | Yes |
| Price | Per protected IP | Per 100 protected IP addresses |
Azure DDoS IP Protection on a public IP address
- In the search box, enter public IP Address. Select public IP Address.
- Select the Public IP address.
- In the Overview pane, select the Properties tab, then select DDoS protection.
- Choose IP under Protection type in the Configure DDoS protection pane, then click Save.
Azure DDoS Network Protection
Create a DDoS protection plan
- Select Create a resource in the upper left corner of the Azure portal.
- Search “DDoS”. When DDoS protection plan appears in the search results, select it.
- Select Create.
- Enter/ select Subscription, Resource group, Name & Region for DDoS Protection Plan and Create
Enable for an existing virtual network
Option 1
- In the Search resources, services box located at the top of the Azure portal, type the name of the virtual network for which you wish to activate DDoS Network Protection. Choose the virtual network name that shows up in the search results.
- Select DDoS protection, under Settings.
- Click on Enable. Choose the DDoS protection plan you made in previously or an existing one, then click Save under DDoS protection plan. The plan you choose must be linked to the same Microsoft Entra tenant, although it may be in a different subscription than the virtual network.
Option 2
- Using the Search resources, services box at the top of the Azure portal, type “DDoS protection plans” into the search field. Choose DDoS protection options when you see them in the search results.
- Select the desired DDoS protection plan you want to enable for your virtual network.
- Select Protected resources under Settings.
- Select +Add and select the right subscription, resource group and the virtual network name. Select Add again.
Conclusion
Implementing Azure DDoS Protection is a crucial step in safeguarding your applications from the ever-evolving threat of DDoS attacks. By leveraging Azure’s advanced protection capabilities, you can ensure the availability, reliability, and security of your services. Regular monitoring, adaptive tuning, and a comprehensive security strategy will help you stay ahead of potential threats and maintain business continuity. Take proactive measures today to protect your applications and provide a seamless experience for your users.
