Akamai rolls out updates for enterprise cloud migration

Nasdaq-listed cloud services firm Akamai Technologies Inc. has released enhancements for cloud migration to protect apps, and application programme interfaces (APIs).

API is code used by two software programmes to talk to each other, according to Techtarget.com. The API, going by the site, states the correct way for a developer to write a programme so that it can collaborate or work together with another programme.

“Eighty-five per cent of companies today have a hybrid cloud strategy, but many have begun to realise 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 release by the firm.

McConnell also stated that cloud migration causes complexity to app deployments, results in cost overruns and exposes businesses to unknown security risks. “With enhancements to our platform, Akamai surrounds and extends client infrastructure, leveraging the Edge and advanced security to overcome cloud challenges,” he said.

The new offerings use an integrated Virtual Private Network (VPN) and a Domain Name System (DNS) proxy detection service to block access to content. The additions to Akamai’s Token Authentication capabilities also extend applications to browsers and devices that do not support cookies, and makes it difficult in playing back stolen content.   

Akamai said that enterprises on course for digital transformation were leveraging APIs; however, these APIs required purpose-built solutions for governance, management, and security. In this regard, Akamai supports automated protection of API traffic, defence against new attack groups in its firewalls and new throttling capabilities in its API gateway solution.

The managed DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) solution includes improved traffic profiling and attack reporting, with security teams being able to better configure app-layer DDoS protection. The release stated that this would result in automatic blocking of network-layer DDoS attacks while responding to application-layer DDoS attacks within seconds.

Akamai has been in expansion mode of late. 

In January 2019, Akamai made the acquisition of Janrain, Inc., and integrated its security and performance services with the Akamai Identity Cloud.

In October last year, TechCircle had reported on Akamai expanding its Indian operations with a new office that could house 2,000 employees at Bengaluru.  The company said its second-largest facility across the world will house Akamai’s network operations centre as well as security and broadcast command centres to serve customers in the region and across the globe.