Find clear answers about Akamai Cloud, Akamai Security (WAF/WAAP, API security, microsegmentation, DDoS), edge compute (EdgeWorkers, Akamai Functions), documentation, and support — plus links to take the next step.
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Akamai is the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online. Akamai Cloud is a distributed cloud for agentic AI and modern applications, bringing inference and compute closer to users. As AI accelerates the pace and sophistication of attacks, Akamai Security provides layered protection for applications, APIs, and infrastructure — combining Akamai threat intelligence with adaptive, AI-driven defenses.
Across Akamai Cloud, Akamai Security, and our globally distributed infrastructure, we help organizations deliver fast, resilient, and secure digital experiences at global scale. This page is your central resource for answers about Akamai Cloud, Akamai Security, delivery, documentation, and support.
Akamai Cloud is a full‑stack cloud platform that combines compute, storage, networking, edge computing, and content delivery on one of the world’s most distributed infrastructures (4,350+ points of presence in 130+ countries). It’s built for modern applications, APIs, and AI workloads that require global reach, high performance, integrated security, and strong price‑performance.
All of the above. Akamai unifies delivery, cloud computing, and security to help customers build, secure, and deliver digital services.
Today Akamai is known for Akamai Cloud, Akamai Inference Cloud, and Akamai Security — including: - Distributed cloud computing - AI inferencing - Web application and API protection (WAAP) - API security - DDoS protection - Microsegmentation
Use the Akamai documentation portal, TechDocs, for product‑specific configuration, integration, and troubleshooting guidance.
Related docs and next steps: - Explore TechDocs - Compare all Akamai products
A web application firewall (WAF) protects web apps by filtering and monitoring HTTP/S traffic. It helps block common threats such as SQL injection, cross‑site scripting (XSS), and other application‑layer attacks. WAFs focus on safeguarding applications from known patterns and suspicious behavior.
Web application and API protection (WAAP) extends beyond a traditional WAF to include: - WAF protection - API security - Bot management - Application‑layer DDoS protection - Client‑side protection
WAAP is designed to protect both web apps and APIs across modern, distributed architectures.
If you rely on APIs or mobile back ends, or face automated bot abuse, WAAP provides broader coverage than a WAF alone. Modern applications depend on APIs and dynamic interactions that often require protection beyond rule‑based filtering.
Akamai App & API Protector is a WAAP solution that delivers WAF protection, API security capabilities, bot management, and DDoS defense in a unified platform — designed to protect public‑facing applications and APIs without compromising performance.
App & API Protector protects: - Public‑facing websites - Web applications - REST and GraphQL APIs - Mobile application back ends
It helps defend against application‑layer attacks, credential‑based attacks, API abuse, and automated threats.
App & API Protector strengthens perimeter and application‑layer defenses, complementing Zero Trust approaches that verify and limit access across users, devices, and workloads. Combined with microsegmentation and identity‑based controls, it supports defense in depth.
Akamai API Security provides advanced API discovery, risk analysis, and behavioral monitoring. It helps identify, catalog, and secure both known and unknown (shadow) APIs, addressing risks like BOLA, sensitive data exposure, and API abuse.
API Security analyzes live traffic to detect undocumented or unmanaged APIs (shadow APIs), reducing visibility gaps and improving governance.
It continuously analyzes real‑world API interactions to identify vulnerabilities and risky patterns such as BOLA, excessive data exposure, and misuse. Teams use these insights to prioritize fixes and improve API posture over time.
WAAP/WAF provide runtime protection. API Security adds discovery, posture management, and ongoing risk visibility — commonly used together for organizations with large or fast‑changing API ecosystems.
Akamai API Security helps protect AI/LLM endpoints by: - Discovering and inventorying AI‑related endpoints - Monitoring usage to detect abuse and anomalies - Identifying sensitive data exposure in responses - Supporting governance and access controls for model interfaces
Combined with WAAP and bot management, it reduces risk for both traditional and AI‑driven APIs.
Prolexic is an enterprise‑grade DDoS protection solution that mitigates large‑scale distributed denial‑of‑service attacks across network and application layers, supported by 24/7 operations to help maintain availability during attacks.
Prolexic provides: - Network‑layer DDoS protection - Application‑layer DDoS protection - Hybrid deployment options (on‑premises and cloud‑based integration) - 24/7 monitoring and mitigation support
If you are under attack: - Contact Akamai support immediately - Provide details about impacted assets and traffic patterns - Follow incident response guidance from your Akamai team
Prolexic customers receive around‑the‑clock operational support during active events.
Akamai Guardicore Segmentation provides microsegmentation to reduce lateral movement risk across data centers, hybrid cloud, and multicloud environments, enabling granular policy enforcement aligned with Zero Trust.
Segmentation policies limit which systems can communicate. If one workload is compromised, policies help prevent movement to additional systems, reducing incident blast radius.
Microsegmentation enforces least privilege by allowing only explicitly permitted traffic based on identity, policy, and context — not network location — reducing implicit trust and strengthening access control.
Perimeter and application‑layer protections defend external‑facing assets. Segmentation protects internal workloads and east‑west traffic. Together they form a comprehensive strategy.
Bot management helps detect and mitigate unwanted automated traffic. While some bots are beneficial, malicious bots drive credential stuffing, ATO, hoarding, scraping, fraud, and API abuse. Effective bot management distinguishes legitimate automation from abuse without blocking good traffic.
WAFs address known attack patterns; bot management analyzes behavior, intent, and automation signals to detect sophisticated abuse that can resemble normal traffic. Combined with API security, it protects both apps and APIs from credential attacks, scraping, and business‑logic abuse.
Use layered controls: - Application layer: apply WAAP/WAF to block common attacks and input manipulation - API layer: secure model endpoints with discovery, monitoring, and access controls - Bot layer: detect automated abuse, scraping, and credential attacks - Data layer: monitor for sensitive data exposure in inputs and outputs
They protect AI apps much like traditional apps, with extra attention to dynamic inputs. They help: - Inspect and filter inputs before they reach models - Block injection techniques and malformed requests - Enforce rate limiting and access controls on AI endpoints
This reduces prompt injection, input manipulation, and model interface exploits.
Models are typically exposed via APIs, so API security is critical. It helps: - Discover AI‑related endpoints (including undocumented ones) - Monitor usage and detect abuse/anomalies - Identify sensitive data exposure in responses - Improve governance and visibility across model APIs
AI‑driven bots can: - Generate dynamic, context‑aware requests - Adapt to defenses in real time - Blend with legitimate traffic patterns
They require behavioral and intent‑based detection, not just signatures.
Related docs and next steps: - Review App & API Protector - Explore API Security - Learn about Prolexic DDoS protection - See Guardicore Segmentation - Explore Firewall for AI - If you’re under active attack, visit Under Attack? or contact support
Akamai Cloud is designed to run and scale applications closer to users on a globally distributed infrastructure — with performance, resilience, and security built in. It unifies core cloud services (compute, storage, networking, Kubernetes) with edge‑native capabilities for modern apps and APIs.
Best‑fit use cases include: - AI/ML workloads, especially distributed AI inference requiring low latency and user proximity - Performance‑sensitive apps (global web apps, SaaS, APIs) - Distributed workloads that benefit from multi‑region execution without complex multicloud overhead - Edge‑adjacent logic (request handling, personalization, lightweight API orchestration) - Cost‑conscious scaling with strong price‑performance and predictable spend
Akamai Cloud provides distributed infrastructure, high‑performance compute (including GPUs), and edge capabilities so you can run AI inference closer to users. This reduces latency, can lower egress costs, and improves real‑time decisioning.
Distributed cloud places compute and services nearer to users while maintaining centralized control. Akamai’s global footprint and edge capabilities make it well suited for next‑gen workloads like distributed AI inference where proximity is critical.
Consider: - AI inference and GPU needs - End‑user performance/latency requirements - Geographic distribution of users - Price‑performance for high‑egress workloads - Integrated security requirements - Edge compute use cases
Akamai Cloud is often a strong fit for performance‑sensitive workloads, AI deployments, and distributed applications.
Yes. “Akamai Connected Cloud” is now “Akamai Cloud.”
Yes. Linode’s VMs and developer‑focused services are part of Akamai Cloud.
Customers continue to use familiar Linode tools and APIs, now backed by Akamai’s global infrastructure and broader services. Akamai is expanding enterprise functionality, including GPU availability for AI workloads.
Yes. Akamai Cloud provides scalable GPU instances for AI/ML and other compute‑intensive workloads.
An edge platform executes logic closer to end users to reduce latency and enable dynamic request handling. Use edge computing when proximity and responsiveness materially improve user experience or efficiency.
EdgeWorkers executes JavaScript at the edge. Common use cases include personalization, A/B testing, request/response modification, and lightweight API orchestration.
Start with the product page and TechDocs for setup, APIs, and examples: - Explore EdgeWorkers - Browse TechDocs
Akamai Functions is serverless edge compute that runs code near users without managing infrastructure. It supports request‑driven logic for dynamic, AI‑integrated applications.
Both run at the edge: - EdgeWorkers: best for lightweight, inline request/response logic within delivery workflows - Akamai Functions: serverless compute for broader application logic and flexible execution
They’re complementary for edge‑native patterns.
AI inference and real‑time processing, API back ends and lightweight services, event‑driven tasks, personalization and dynamic content, and auth/request handling.
Cloudlets are configurable edge capabilities for traffic routing, personalization, and application behavior — without writing custom code.
Use Cloudlets for predefined traffic management and routing policies. Use EdgeWorkers when you need customizable logic and code‑based control. They can be combined.
See Cloudlets documentation on TechDocs.
Related docs and next steps: - Review Akamai Cloud - Compare GPU options and cloud pricing - Get started with Akamai Functions and EdgeWorkers - Sign up for Akamai Cloud in Cloud Manager
Akamai’s CDN accelerates websites, applications, APIs, and media by caching and delivering content from locations closer to users — reducing latency and improving reliability.
Delivery, performance, and security operate on the same globally distributed platform. Traffic can be accelerated, inspected, and protected in one workflow at the edge — avoiding extra hops across separate tools or regions.
With delivery and security unified: - Inspect and filter traffic at the edge using WAF/WAAP before threats reach origin - Mitigate DDoS attacks upstream by absorbing/scrubbing traffic across distributed capacity - Apply consistent global policies for performance and protection - Reduce latency and operational complexity by avoiding separate stacks - Maintain shared analytics across performance and security signals
This is especially valuable for modern, distributed apps and APIs.
Performance optimization focuses on speed, caching, routing, and efficiency. Security protection focuses on identifying and mitigating threats such as application‑layer attacks, DDoS, and API abuse. Both run on the same platform to improve user experience and reduce risk.
Related docs and next steps: - Explore Content Delivery - Protect apps and APIs with App & API Protector and Prolexic
Akamai Control Center is the management interface for configuring and monitoring Akamai delivery, edge, and security services.
Commonly managed services include: - App & API Protector - API Security - Prolexic configurations and integrations - CDN configurations - DNS services - EdgeWorkers
For new deployments, start with product setup guides and reference architectures. For live issues, use troubleshooting guides and configuration docs specific to your product on TechDocs.
You can contact Akamai support through official channels in your account portal. If you are a customer: - Sign in to your Akamai account - Open a support case for the relevant product/service - Include impact details and technical context for faster routing
If you’re evaluating, reach out via Contact Sales or Contact Us to be directed to the right resource.
Provide: - Product/service name - Account details (account ID, contract ID, or relevant identifiers) - Impacted assets (hostnames, properties, APIs, apps, IPs, regions) - Exact timestamps (with time zone) - Recent changes (deployments, config updates, DNS/cert/policy changes) - Error messages and evidence (logs, request IDs, headers, screenshots, WAF events, SIEM logs) - Steps to reproduce, expected vs. actual behavior - Business impact and severity (affected users/regions, production status) - For urgent issues, state severity, confirm service impact, and include on‑call contact info
Akamai Cloud Manager is the interface for provisioning, configuring, and managing Akamai Cloud resources: - Deploy and manage compute instances - Configure networking and storage - Monitor usage and performance - Access developer tools and APIs
It focuses on cloud infrastructure and developer workflows.
Manage: - Virtual machines (Linode instances) - Kubernetes clusters (LKE) - Object and block storage - Networking and load balancing
Use both, depending on scope: - Control Center: configure and manage delivery, security, and edge services (App & API Protector, API Security, Prolexic, CDN, DNS, EdgeWorkers) — define policies, monitor traffic, and manage global delivery/protection - Cloud Manager: provision and operate cloud infrastructure (VMs, LKE, storage, networking) — support developer and platform workflows
Related docs and next steps: - Visit Akamai Support - Check Service Status - Access TechDocs