Azure DDoS Protection: Overview and Configuration Example

Azure Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection is a cloud-based service that provides protection against DDoS attacks for applications hosted on the Azure platform. It helps safeguard your applications by detecting and mitigating DDoS attacks before they can affect your services. Here's a detailed overview of Azure DDoS Protection along with a configuration example:

Features of Azure DDoS Protection:

1. Automatic DDoS Attack Detection:

   • Monitors network traffic and automatically detects and mitigates DDoS attacks.
2. Always-On DDoS Protection:
   • Provides continuous DDoS protection without the need for manual intervention.
3. Layer 3 to Layer 7 Protection:
   • Defends against DDoS attacks at multiple layers, including Layers 3 (network), 4 (transport), and 7 (application).
4. Adaptive Rate Limiting:
   • Adjusts rate limits dynamically based on application traffic patterns.
5. Traffic Analytics:
   • Provides detailed traffic analytics and attack reports through Azure Monitor.
6. Global Threat Intelligence:
   • Utilizes global threat intelligence to identify and block malicious traffic.
7. Integration with Azure Application Gateway and Azure Front Door:
   • Integrates with Azure Application Gateway and Azure Front Door for comprehensive protection.

Configuration Example:

Let's configure Azure DDoS Protection for a sample application:

1. Login to Azure Portal:

   • Navigate to the Azure Portal.
2. Enable DDoS Protection on Virtual Network:
   • Select the virtual network that hosts your application.
   • In the "Settings" section, click on "DDoS protection."
   • Enable DDoS protection for the virtual network.
3. Configure DDoS Protection Settings:
   • Configure DDoS Protection settings, including Basic or Standard SKU, and specify the threshold settings for rate limiting.
4. Enable DDoS Protection on Azure Application Gateway (Optional):
   • If you are using Azure Application Gateway, enable DDoS protection for the application gateway.
5. Enable DDoS Protection on Azure Front Door (Optional):
   • If you are using Azure Front Door, enable DDoS protection for the front door.
6. Review and Confirm:
   • Review the configured DDoS Protection settings and confirm the deployment.
7. Monitor DDoS Protection:
   • Use Azure Monitor to monitor DDoS Protection metrics and gain insights into traffic patterns and attacks.
8. Adjust Thresholds (Optional):
   • Depending on your application's needs, adjust DDoS Protection thresholds and rate limits.
9. Review Attack Reports:
   • Regularly review attack reports and analytics provided by Azure Monitor to understand the effectiveness of DDoS Protection.
10. Scale Resources (Optional):
    • Depending on your application's scale and requirements, consider scaling resources or adjusting DDoS Protection settings.
11. Clean Up Resources:
    • Once done, clean up resources by adjusting or disabling DDoS Protection settings if needed.