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Prolexic
A flood can fill your internet links in seconds. Your NOC shouldn’t be the last line of defence — Prolexic diverts your network’s traffic through Akamai’s scrubbing centres — always-on or on-demand, with two of them in Mumbai and Chennai and a 24/7 SOCC tuning the filters mid-attack.
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Same software. Better outcome — at a lower cost.
How it’s rated
Full scoreboard ↓Quick answer
The Akamai platform family
This page covers Prolexic — Akamai’s DDoS protection service. The rest:
Quick facts
30-second orientation- Product
- Cloud DDoS scrubbing for networks, data centres and IP ranges, always-on or on-demand
- Maker
- Akamai Technologies, Cambridge, Massachusetts; NASDAQ: AKAM; CEO Dr. Tom Leighton
- Scale
- FY2025: $4.208B in total revenue, $2.243B of it from security, per Akamai’s results
- Price
- Quote-only; Akamai publishes no Prolexic price or licence unit
- Capacity
- 20+ Tbps of dedicated defence capacity across 32+ scrubbing centres, by Akamai’s count
- Options
- Routed (BGP/GRE), IP Protect, On-Premises (Corero), Hybrid, Direct Connect, Network Cloud Firewall
- Response
- Zero-second SLA advertised; a 24/7 SOCC with 225+ frontline defenders
- India
- Scrubbing centres in Mumbai and Chennai since April 2023; Bengaluru operations hub since 2018
- Customers
- Intuit, Smilegate West and Finastra, named on Akamai’s Prolexic page
- In India via
- TechBag — prefix and service-model scoping, quote in INR with GST, a diversion drill
Understand DDoS scrubbing before you buy it
Most product pages skip this. We start here — so you buy a capability, not a buzzword.
What is DDoS scrubbing?
Your traffic is diverted to scrubbing centres, attack packets are removed, and only clean traffic comes back.
Your ISP link and a NOC ticket vs a scrubbing service — the honest table
What consolidation actually replaces, dimension by dimension.
| Dimension | ISP link, NOC ticket | Prolexic |
|---|---|---|
| Where a flood lands | Your ISP link, until it saturates | Akamai’s scrubbing centres, 20+ Tbps of them |
| Who mitigates | Your NOC and a ticket with the ISP | A 24/7 SOCC with 225+ frontline defenders |
| Time to act | When someone notices the outage | A zero-second SLA, as Akamai advertises it |
| Known-bad sources | Router ACLs at your own edge | Network Cloud Firewall rules inside Akamai |
| Where traffic is cleaned | Wherever an overseas provider routes it | In-country centres in Mumbai and Chennai |
| What it is NOT | — | A WAF, a bot manager, or a published price |
The cheapest test is one diversion drill: route a single prefix through scrubbing in a change window and time the clean traffic coming back.
The five pieces of the platform
Vendors love diagrams; buyers need to know what they’re actually operating. Here’s the whole platform, demystified.
Divert
Prolexic Routed announces your /24 IPv4 or /48 IPv6 block over BGP and returns clean traffic through GRE tunnels; IP Protect and Direct Connect are the other paths in.
Scrub
More than 32 centres holding 20+ Tbps of dedicated capacity strip attack packets out, two of them in India at Mumbai and Chennai, reached by anycast routing.
Control
You push your own access lists and geo or IP rules into the scrubbing layer, so sources you already distrust are dropped at Akamai instead of at your router.
People
A 24/7 SOCC with more than 225 frontline defenders watches diverted traffic, tunes countermeasures mid-attack and stands behind the zero-second SLA.
Your prefix diverted by BGP and GRE into 32+ scrubbing centres — clean traffic handed back, a 24/7 SOCC at the controls.
Nine capabilities. Divert, scrub, respond.
Prolexic pulls your traffic through Akamai’s scrubbing centres and hands back only the clean packets.
Scrubbing all the time
Traffic flows through Akamai’s scrubbing centres permanently, so there is no switch-over gap when a flood begins.
Switched in on attack
Traffic stays on your own links in quiet times, then is diverted to Akamai for cleaning once an attack starts.
Delivered over Direct Connect
Prolexic can be delivered over Akamai Direct Connect, one of six deployment options Akamai lists for the service.
20+ Tbps set aside
Akamai cites over 20 Tbps of capacity dedicated to DDoS defence, spread across more than 32 scrubbing centres.
Cleaned in Mumbai, Chennai
Two Indian centres, announced in April 2023, use anycast while keeping the scrubbed data within national borders.
Corero-powered kit on site
An on-premises option, powered by Corero, filters in your own data centre; the hybrid model ties it to the cloud.
225+ defenders on shift
A Security Operations Command Center staffed around the clock by more than 225 frontline defenders runs live mitigation.
A zero-second commitment
Akamai advertises a zero-second SLA for mitigation; check which attack types and service model your contract names.
Your ACLs in the scrubbing layer
Network Cloud Firewall applies your access lists and geo or IP rules inside Akamai, before the traffic is handed back.
Watch Prolexic in action
Managing ACLs in Network Cloud Firewall (2024), and two 2020 explainers on how Prolexic diverts and mitigates attacks.
Prolexic: How do I manage ACLs in Prolexic Network Cloud Firewall?
A walk through adding and editing access lists in Network Cloud Firewall, the rule layer inside Prolexic.
Fast and Effective DDoS Mitigation with Prolexic
Akamai’s 2020 overview of how Prolexic diverts and cleans attack traffic; its scale figures predate today’s.
Automated and Proactive DDoS Protection with Prolexic
A 2020 look at proactive mitigation controls and the automation behind them, from Akamai’s own channel.
Want a live, India-context walkthrough for your environment?
Book a guided demo →Every public service is one flood from an outage. Prolexic absorbs it before it reaches you.
What earns Prolexic a shortlist place — and the limits to plan around.
Mitigation run by people as well as filters
Diverted traffic is watched by a 24/7 Security Operations Command Center with more than 225 frontline defenders, who adjust countermeasures while an attack is still changing shape. Akamai backs this with an advertised zero-second SLA; read which attack types the clause covers.
Six ways to connect, not one
Prolexic Routed uses BGP and GRE for whole prefixes; IP Protect covers addresses; an on-premises layer powered by Corero and a hybrid model put filtering on site; Direct Connect is a further route; and Network Cloud Firewall adds your own rules. Pick always-on or on-demand on top.
Scrubbing that stays in India
Akamai opened scrubbing centres in Mumbai and Chennai in April 2023, using anycast while keeping data within national borders. Akamai also runs a Bengaluru site, in place since 2018, with a NOC and a security command centre; its India headcount was 2,500+ in April 2023.
Where it stops
There is no public price. Prolexic Routed needs a /24 IPv4 or /48 IPv6 block of your own. Web-application, bot and API abuse belong to App & API Protector and Bot Manager, sold apart. The newest product video is a 2024 how-to, and no analyst DDoS ranking is cited here.
The numbers behind the platform
What your Prolexic rollout looks like
Map what faces the internet
List prefixes, data centres and public services, note which sit on your own /24 or /48 blocks, and set a tolerable outage for each.
Choose the model and the route
Weigh always-on against on-demand, then pick Routed, IP Protect, hybrid with the Corero-powered layer, or Direct Connect.
Build tunnels and BGP sessions
Set up GRE tunnels and BGP with Akamai, ask for the Mumbai or Chennai path in writing, and load Network Cloud Firewall ACLs.
Run a diversion drill
Swing one prefix through scrubbing in a change window, time the return of clean traffic, and agree escalation with the SOCC.
Write and rehearse the runbook
Record who calls the SOCC, when on-demand diversion begins and who approves ACL changes; rehearse it every quarter.
The review scoreboard
Modelled on Gartner Peer Insights structure. *Counts and breakdowns are illustrative pending verified review collection.
Quick poll — what’s driving your evaluation?
Talk to an advisor“We moved to always-on after a weekend flood. During the next one the SOCC had tuned filters before our own NOC saw it.”
“Onboarding was slower than we planned: BGP announcements, GRE tunnels and router changes each needed a change window.”
“Mumbai scrubbing mattered to our risk committee. We asked Akamai to put the Indian path in writing during the pilot.”
“Our geo and IP block lists now live in Network Cloud Firewall, so the noisiest sources never touch our data-centre edge.”
“On-demand kept the bill lower, but we rehearse the diversion every quarter so a real attack is never the first test.”
“Strong service, no price list. Finance only signed off after a second round of quotes and a clearer scope document.”
Where everyone sits — the grids
Analyst firms bury this view behind paywalls, and G2 retired its Grid. So here’s TechBag’s synthesis of the DDoS protection market — tap any vendor to see why it sits where it does.
TechBag DDoS Protection Grid
Execution strength vs product vision — the classic market map, minus the paywall.
Quote-only; 20+ Tbps dedicated and a 24/7 SOCC.
Deployment Choice × Defence Depth
The grid nobody publishes — how many ways you can connect and whether scrubbing happens in India, vs how much capacity and human response stand behind it.
Six deployment options; Mumbai and Chennai; 225+ SOCC staff.
Positions are TechBag’s illustrative synthesis of public review-platform data and vendor documentation — not a reproduction of any analyst graphic. Verify before relying on it.
Prolexic vs the DDoS protection field
Against Cloudflare Application Security, AWS Shield Advanced, Radware Cloud DDoS Protection, Imperva DDoS Protection and NETSCOUT Arbor Cloud — on service model, diversion, capacity, response time, price, people and India.
| Dimension | Prolexic | Cloudflare Application Security | AWS Shield Advanced | Radware Cloud DDoS Protection | Imperva DDoS Protection | NETSCOUT Arbor Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Akamai DDoS scrubbing | WAF + DDoS on one edge | AWS-native paid tier | Managed cloud scrubbing | Thales-owned DDoS cloud | Arbor cloud scrubbing |
| Service models | Always-on or on-demand | Always-on, every plan | Always-on inside AWS | Three service models | On-demand or always-on | Cloud-only or hybrid |
| Traffic diversion | BGP/GRE, IP, Connect | Proxy via DNS change | Enrol AWS resources | Anycast, nearest centre | Anycast network | BGP or DNS diversion |
| Mitigation capacity | 20+ Tbps dedicated | ~500 Tbps network | Not published | 30 Tbps since Jan 2026 | 13 Tbps scrubbing | 33 Tbps since July 2026 |
| Scrubbing footprint | 32+ scrubbing centres | 330+ cities | AWS edge and Regions | 65 service centres | No count on the page | 16 scrubbing centres |
| Time to mitigate | Zero-second SLA | No SLA figure here | No figure published | Ask for the schedule | 3 seconds or less | Within 60 seconds |
| Pricing model | Quote-only | Free tier to Enterprise | Fee + transfer-out | Quoted service | Quoted service | Quoted subscription |
| Published entry price | Not published | Free plan | $3,000/month, 1-year | Not found | Not published | Not published |
| Included vs add-on | Options scoped per deal | WAF, bot, API alongside | WAF + cost protection | Web, bot and API too | L3, L4 and L7 covered | Hybrid needs AED |
| Human response | 24/7 SOCC, 225+ staff | Automated at the edge | SRT needs paid support | 24x7 managed ERT | Team not detailed | 24x7 ASERT team |
| On-premises and hybrid | Corero-powered on-prem | Cloud only | Origins behind AWS | Radware device hybrid | Cloud service | AED plus cloud signal |
| India scrubbing | Mumbai and Chennai | Many Indian cities | Indian Regions, no site | Chennai and Mumbai | Not stated | Not stated |
| Lock-in and exit | Re-announce your prefix | DNS back, rules rebuilt | Tied to AWS | Device ties in hybrid | DNS or routing to undo | AED appliance ties |
| Best fit | Large, bespoke networks | Web apps, fast start | All-in on AWS | Hybrid, Indian centres | Written L3/4 timing | Arbor appliance estates |
Which approach fits you?
Honest fit signals — because the fastest way to lose your trust is to pretend one product wins every scenario.
Choose Prolexic if…
- ✓You own your IP space and want always-on scrubbing with a 24/7 SOCC adjusting filters during the attack
- ✓Indian traffic should be cleaned in-country, at the Mumbai or Chennai centres Akamai opened in 2023
- ✓You need more than one way in — BGP and GRE, single IPs, Direct Connect, or a Corero-powered layer on site
Compare alternatives if…
- ✓You want a price before a sales call — Cloudflare starts free and AWS lists Shield Advanced at $3,000 a month
- ✓Every internet-facing workload already runs in AWS, where Shield Advanced protects resources without rerouting
- ✓You already run Arbor Edge Defense or a Radware device on-premises and want the matching cloud service
Do not expect…
- ✓A list price or a self-serve sign-up for any Prolexic option
- ✓Web-application, bot or API-abuse defences — App & API Protector and Bot Manager are separate products
- ✓Any third-party ranking of Prolexic: none is cited on this page
TechBag has no DDoS protection guide yet, so Prolexic sits outside the category guides. Browse all products to compare it with the rest of the catalogue. →
What does handling DDoS in-house cost you?
Drag the sliders (internet-facing services; engineer-hour cost). Estimates model engineering time spent on DDoS triage, ISP escalations and post-attack clean-up at an assumed 1.5 hours per service a year, with 70% of it removed by managed scrubbing and a 24/7 SOCC. Both figures are assumptions. Illustrative.
Loaded cost = salary + overheads per productive hour. Illustrative only — your TechBag quote models your actual environment and modules.
Three ways to consume it
Not published: Akamai lists no price and no licence unit for Prolexic — always-on, on-demand and hybrid contracts, and every deployment option from Routed to IP Protect, are quoted. TechBag maps your prefixes and public services first, then gets the quote itemised in INR with GST.
Always-on Prolexic
Best for exchanges, banks and gaming platforms
- Quote-only; no list price
- Traffic scrubbed permanently
- Routed, IP Protect or Direct Connect
+ Platform add-ons
Best for a broader rollout
- Scoped to your estate
- Add-on modules as needed
- Phased, right-sized deployment
On-demand or hybrid
Best when attacks are rare but costly
- Quote-only; no list price
- Diversion starts when an attack does
- Corero-powered on-premises layer optional
Buy it for less — TechBag pricing beats list
Whatever the list prices above, TechBag negotiates a significantly better deal — with GST-compliant INR invoicing and local support. Ask us for your discounted quote.
Get an India-ready quote
Tell us your requirements and current tools — we’ll model it against what you spend today.
The 8 questions to ask every vendor
Take this into your next vendor call — including ours.
Do you own a /24 IPv4 or /48 IPv6 block for Prolexic Routed, or will single addresses need IP Protect instead?
Always-on or on-demand: how long a diversion delay can each public service tolerate before customers notice?
Will Indian traffic be scrubbed at Mumbai or Chennai? Ask Akamai to state the path in the contract, not a slide.
Which attack types and service models does the zero-second SLA cover, and what credit applies if it is missed?
Does a hybrid setup with the Corero-powered on-premises option fit, or is cloud scrubbing alone enough?
Which ACLs and geo or IP blocks move into Network Cloud Firewall, and who signs off each change to them?
Which web apps also need App & API Protector for layer 7 floods, alongside Prolexic’s network scrubbing?
Does the quote itemise service model, deployment option and term? Ask for it in INR with GST before signing.
Questions buyers ask
Ready to evaluate Prolexic?
Map your prefixes and public services first, or let a TechBag advisor scope a pilot that swings one prefix through Akamai’s scrubbing centres.
Stats, ratings, review counts and pricing are illustrative and sourced from public materials; verify before purchase.