Broad application security and API protections in one solution
Be confident in your security foundation with Akamai’s web application firewall (WAF) solution that quickly identifies vulnerabilities and mitigates threats across the most complicated web and API architectures. Extend your WAF protections off the Akamai edge and into hybrid cloud and multi-CDN environments — or leverage the power of the edge with bot, API, and advanced DDoS protections all in a single solution.
Stronger application and API security with less effort
How App & API Protector works
Features
- Adaptive protections automatically push the latest app and API defenses, including zero-days and CVE protections
- DevOps integration with a simple GUI or with our Terraform provider, APIs, or the Akamai CLI
- Quick onboarding and simplified operations provide comprehensive security for apps and APIs without much effort
- All-in-one solution includes our WAF plus L7 DDoS defense, API discovery, sensitive data protection, and bot controls
- Extend security off the Akamai platform with App & API Protector Hybrid for on-prem, hybrid cloud, and multi-CDN environments
- AI-powered dashboards proactively communicate anomaly and threat detection as well as advise on actionable improvements
- Protect against ransomware, outages, data loss, and more with malware security at the edge
Akamai outperforms other WAAPs: See the data
SecureIQLab tested leading cloud WAAP solutions against more than 1,360 threats. Akamai came away a winner when compared to AWS, Cloudflare, and Microsoft.
Report: Attackers leverage AI to link threats
Attackers are amplifying old tactics with AI precision. Get expert data on surging API and DDoS threats in the 2026 SOTI.
Customer Stories
Application Security Use Cases
Learn how Akamai simplifies unified security, stops evolving threats, and ensures uptime — without adding complexity.
Stop evolving attacks with smarter security
Most WAFs struggle to keep pace with evolving threats, leaving applications and APIs vulnerable to zero-day attacks, API abuse, and sophisticated DDoS or bot-driven fraud. Many security teams must manually update rules, tune policies, and add third-party tools for protection — slowing response times and increasing false positives.
Akamai Adaptive Security Engine delivers real-time, automated protection across edge, cloud, and hybrid environments. It continuously updates security policies based on global threat intelligence, defending against OWASP Top 10 threats, CVEs, and API exploits. App & API Protector Hybrid extends WAF protections beyond the CDN, securing north-south and east-west traffic for a unified security posture.
Consolidate point solutions and reduce complexity
Security teams often manage multiple vendors, disconnected security tools, and complex policy configurations just to achieve basic protection. Layering separate WAFs, API gateways, bot defenses, and DDoS tools adds cost and operational overhead while creating blind spots that attackers exploit.
Akamai’s all-in-one approach consolidates WAF, API security, bot management, and DDoS protection in a single solution. App & API Protector defends at the edge, instantly blocking large-scale attacks, while App & API Protector Hybrid extends WAF defense to multicloud and on-prem environments — ensuring consistent policies across distributed architectures. With automated updates and machine learning-driven detection, teams spend less time managing security and more time innovating.
Ensure availability and performance without compromise
Many WAFs rely on static rate controls and rigid traffic rules, leading to false positives, application slowdowns, and security gaps during high-traffic events or DDoS attacks. Organizations often need separate DDoS tools, adding complexity and cost.
Akamai’s edge-first approach stops threats before they reach your infrastructure — eliminating the need for extra rate-limiting tools. App & API Protector automatically detects and mitigates attacks in real time, across apps and APIs for OWASP threat vectors as well as bot and DDoS attacks. With intelligent threat scoring and self-tuning protections, security adapts dynamically, ensuring maximum uptime and seamless digital experiences. Plus, add agility by taking Akamai’s WAF protections off-edge and into on-prem, hybrid cloud, and multi-CDN environments for a simplified and unified security stance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
By employing continuous security testing tools and real-time monitoring automation, App & API Protector identifies and mitigates security risks, such as zero-days, CVEs, and OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It ensures that security measures are in place throughout the development process and the application lifecycle to address many types of application security. App & API Protector also remediates the security threats listed in the OWASP API Top 10 vulnerabilities.
App & API Protector offers connectors for Splunk and other providers, as well as a SIEM integration module for better attack identification, detection, and forensic analysis.
App & API Protector is an easy-to-use solution that saves security team time. But for organizations that need more, App & API Protector has optional managed and professional services that can scale and change with your business. Security Operations Command Center Advanced Support Service provides an enhanced high-touch and personalized customer experience. Akamai also offers three support level options for you to choose from to suit your business needs: (1) fully managed, (2) co-managed; Akamai assists you, and (3) self-service.
Akamai architects its products with the understanding that our customers cannot have any latency — their business depends on it. Like all Akamai’s products, App & API Protector is highly efficient, and the impact to your app/site performance should not be perceptible to users.
Layer 7 DDoS attacks target the application layer, aiming to disrupt the user interface or services like HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, and SMTP. These attacks are particularly insidious because they exploit the application layer, often bypassing traditional security measures. App & API Protector is powered by the new Behavioral DDoS Engine with a full suite of L7 capabilities to automatically defend against sophisticated DDoS attacks.
Resources
Free trial: Try App & API Protector for 30 days
Discover the benefits of App & API Protector for yourself:
- Adapt protections to evolving attacks
- Simplify security with automated updates and self-tuning
- Empower your developers and security teams
Set up your 30-day free trial:
- Submit form
- Confirm your email
- Log in and set up your instance of App & API Protector
Terms and restrictions apply.
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