Akamai builds more content security into its edge platform

Akamai has announced a series of updates to its edge platform that will build in better content security.

Akamai said it can now intelligently serve or block access to content through integrated Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Domain Name System (DNS) proxy detection services. The company has also updated its Token Authentication capabilities to extend coverage for browsers and devices that do not support cookies and while making it more difficult to play back stolen content. The company also said its standard TLS now delivers HTTPS at scale while providing a customer-branded SSL certificate.

To address bots, Akamai is working to improve visibility into malicious botnet activities on customer sites as well as those targeting other businesses. The company is also improving self-serviceability so customers to adjust their own settings for bot detection and defenses.

Akamai is also addressing API protections by building in governance, management, and security solutions. The company now supports automated protections of API traffic, new attack groups across its web application firewalls and throttling capabilities in its API Gateway solution.

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Akamai's managed DDoS solution now includes improved traffic profiling and attack reporting along with the ability for security teams to better configure app-layer DDoS protection. The update will position edge servers to automatically block network-layer DDoS attacks and respond to application-layer DDoS attacks.

Akamai has also integrated its security and performance services with the Akamai Identity Cloud following the acquisition of Janrain, a customer identity access management solution. The move is intended to improve protection and performance of consumer login pages and to deliver incremental value to customers in combating additional fraud use cases in 2019.

"Eighty-five percent of companies today have a hybrid cloud strategy, but many have begun to realize that the cloud brings significant challenges to security, operations, and cost management," said Rick McConnell, president and general manager of Akamai's Web Division, in a statement. "Cloud migration introduces complexity that can slow app deployments, cause cost overruns, and expose businesses to previously unknown security risks. With enhancements to our platform, Akamai surrounds and extends client infrastructures, leveraging the edge and advanced security to alleviate cloud challenges."