Modern attacks outpace static defenses.
DDoS attacks growing in sophistication — volumetric, protocol and application-layer combined
Bot traffic consuming 40-60% of web requests, distorting analytics and scraping content
API endpoints exposed without proper authentication, rate limiting or schema validation
Legacy WAF rules generating false positives that block real customers
Adaptive security at Cloudflare scale.
Managed WAF deployment
OWASP Core Ruleset, Cloudflare Managed Rules and custom rules — tuned for your application. We eliminate false positives through staged deployment and traffic analysis.
DDoS mitigation
Unmetered DDoS protection across L3/L4/L7. Cloudflare's 321 Tbps network absorbs attacks at the edge — your origin never sees malicious traffic.
Bot Management
ML-based bot detection with JavaScript challenges, managed challenge pages and Turnstile. Distinguish good bots from credential stuffers and scrapers.
Rate Limiting & API Shield
Per-endpoint rate limits, API schema validation, mTLS authentication. Protect your APIs from abuse without impacting legitimate integrations.
Security scenarios we handle.
DDoS under attack
Emergency onboarding for organizations under active DDoS attack. DNS cutover to Cloudflare within hours, immediate mitigation.
Bot mitigation
Stop credential stuffing, inventory hoarding, price scraping and content theft — while preserving SEO crawlers and partner integrations.
PCI DSS compliance
WAF rulesets aligned with PCI DSS requirements for e-commerce and payment processing applications.
Security analytics
Real-time threat dashboards, attack pattern analysis, monthly security reports with recommendations.
Multi-layer security architecture.
Cloudflare's security stack processes every HTTP request through multiple inspection layers — from DDoS mitigation at L3/L4 to WAF rule evaluation at L7 — before it reaches your origin server.
Cloudflare WAF vs. alternatives.
How Cloudflare's application security compares to AWS WAF, Akamai and Imperva across key protection and operational criteria.
| Capability | Cloudflare | AWS WAF | Akamai |
|---|---|---|---|
| DDoS capacity | 321 Tbps (unmetered) | Shield Advanced (paid) | 250+ Tbps |
| DDoS pricing | Included (all plans) | $3,000/mo (Shield Adv) | Custom enterprise |
| Managed rules | OWASP + CF rules included | Marketplace (per-rule fee) | Kona (enterprise) |
| Bot detection | ML + behavioral (included) | Bot Control ($10/M req) | Bot Manager (add-on) |
| API security | Schema validation + mTLS | Basic (manual rules) | API Security (add-on) |
| Global PoPs | 330+ cities | 30+ regions (CloudFront) | 4,200+ (Akamai) |
| Time to deploy | Minutes (DNS change) | Hours (CloudFront config) | Days (onboarding) |
| Managed SOC | Available | Not included | Available |
Our WAF deployment methodology.
A risk-free approach that eliminates false positives before enforcing rules — ensuring zero impact on legitimate traffic.
Traffic Baselining
Onboard domain to Cloudflare in proxy mode. Analyze 1–2 weeks of traffic patterns: legitimate user agents, API consumers, bot profiles, geographic distribution.
Rule Deployment (Log Mode)
Deploy OWASP Core Rules, Cloudflare Managed Rules and custom rules in log-only mode. Monitor matches without blocking. Identify false positives.
Tuning & Enforcement
Whitelist legitimate patterns, tune sensitivity scores. Switch rules to block mode incrementally — starting with high-confidence categories (SQLi, XSS, RCE).
Ongoing Operations
Real-time monitoring dashboards, weekly threat reports, monthly security reviews. Rule updates for new CVEs. Incident response within SLA timeframes.
Frequently asked questions.
How quickly can you onboard us if we are under DDoS attack?
Emergency onboarding can be completed within 2-4 hours. We perform a DNS cutover to route traffic through Cloudflare's network, configure baseline WAF rules and activate DDoS mitigation — all while keeping your application available.
Will the WAF block legitimate traffic?
We deploy WAF rules in log-only mode first, analyze traffic patterns for 1-2 weeks, then tune rules to eliminate false positives before switching to block mode. Ongoing monitoring ensures zero impact on real users.
Do you provide 24/7 security monitoring?
Yes. Our NOC team monitors WAF events, DDoS alerts and bot scores around the clock. We respond to incidents within SLA-guaranteed timeframes and provide monthly security review reports.
Ready to get started with Cloudflare WAF & DDoS Protection?
Book a free assessment call with our Cloudflare engineering team.