Akamai App and API Protector vs Cortex Cloud by Palo Alto Networks comparison

Cloudflare is a highly-regarded Content Delivery Network (CDN) and a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) protection solution. The robust global connectivity cloud platform that is Cloudflare ensures users are able to connect to the Internet quickly, securely, and reliably. Cloudflare is one of the world's largest networks in the marketplace today. Using Cloudflare, businesses, educational entities, NGOs, vloggers, bloggers, and anyone else with an internet presence can experience more secure, faster websites and applications.  

Currently, there are millions of Internet locations on Cloudflare, and the Cloudflare network 
continues to grow every day by the thousands. The solution is able to fulfill the requests for 
millions of websites seamlessly and serves on average 45 million HTTP requests per second.

Cloudflare has safe, secure data centers in close to 300 cities worldwide to ensure every 
client request is filled as quickly as possible. It is Cloudflare’s edge network that makes this 
possible by keeping content and other services as close to each client as possible, so the 
information requests are always only seconds away. 

Many organizations that work in democracy, civil society, human rights, or the arts are able to 
access Cloudflare's highest levels of protection for free via Project Galileo. Additionally, official 
election websites can be secured from hacking and fraud through Cloudflare’s Project 
Athenian, also at no additional cost.

Cloudflare can also help organizations of all sizes develop a robust zero-trust strategy to 
ensure the highest levels of productivity and profitability. Employees, stakeholders, and end users have a greater level of satisfaction and overall improved user experience, which can, in 
turn, result in higher revenues and overall ROI. Zero-trust and BYOD (bring your own device) 
access ensure end users and employees always have the best resources and technology 
available to them at all times. 

Cloudflare benefits

Cloudflare has many benefits. Some of its most valuable benefits include:

- Faster load times

- Robust DNS security

- Intuitive cloud Web Application Firewall (WAF)

- Free universal SSL

- Image enhancement 

- Automatic browser caching

- Next-generation cloud load balancer

- Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

- Rate limiting

- Minification

- Zero-trust capabilities 

- Cost-effective

- Reduced carbon footprint

Reviews from real users

“Many websites require an SSL certificate because they sell stuff and want SSL. Cloudflare 
comes with an SSL certificate built in. It's automatic. You sign yourself up for Cloudflare, and 
an SSL certificate automatically protects your website. If you have a connection between your 
website and your host, the server, Cloudflare, and the host, you don't necessarily need a 
certificate.” Spencer M., Owner at Tech Exchange

“What I like best about Cloudflare is that my company can use it to trace and manage 
applications and monitor traffic. The solution tells you if there's a spike in traffic. Cloudflare 
also sends you a link to check your equipment and deployment and track it through peering,
so it's a valuable tool.” Daniel P., Network Engineer at Ufinet

“The most valuable feature of Cloudflare is the GUI. You are able to control the solution very 
well through the interface. There is a lot of functionality that is embedded in the service.” PeerSpot user, Competence Center Manager at a tech services company

Akamai App and API Protector provides website security by preventing DDoS attacks, acting as an application firewall, managing content delivery, and monitoring APIs. It adapts to threat profiles and is used for fast media delivery and identifying malicious activities.

Akamai App and API Protector offers strong protection, adaptable security features, and efficient traffic management. Its WAF blocks IP addresses and country-specific threats while preventing SQL injections. Companies utilize it for scalable CDN services and comprehensive traffic analysis. Known for its cost-effectiveness and user-friendly dashboard, this protector stands out for its customizable rules and technical support. Users also highlight the ease of integration and detailed attack insights available through its advanced dashboard.

• DDoS Protection: Strong defense against Distributed Denial of Service attacks.
• Scalable CDN: Manages content delivery efficiently under high traffic loads.
• WAF Capabilities: Blocks specific IPs and countries, prevents SQL injections.
• Traffic Filtering: Analyzes and controls incoming requests to maintain security.
• Adaptive Stream Delivery: Adjusts content delivery to meet bandwidth needs.

• Cost-Effectiveness: Provides robust security tools at a competitive price.
• Enhanced Security: Comprehensive protection against cyber threats.
• Scalability: Easily handles increasing traffic and data loads.
• Ease of Integration: Simple integration with existing systems.
• Insightful Analytics: Offers data-driven insights into traffic and attack patterns.

In media, Akamai App and API Protector ensures smooth streaming by handling high bandwidth demands. E-commerce companies use it to guard against fraud and data breaches. Financial sectors rely on its ability to protect sensitive transactions. Implementations in healthcare focus on safeguarding patient data while maintaining compliance with regulations.

Cortex Cloud by Palo Alto Networks offers dynamic workload identity creation, application dependency mapping, and automated forensics. Its capabilities in multi-cloud environments, tight AWS integration, and compliance features enhance threat visibility and control.

Cortex Cloud integrates RedLock and Prisma Cloud to deliver inventory management, vulnerability scanning, and cloud configuration monitoring. These features enable strong security posture management while optimizing alert response times and operational costs. Users leverage it for container security and multi-cloud compliance, maximizing insights into security configurations and threat detection across AWS, Azure, and GCP.

• Dynamic Workload Identity: Enhances security through automated identity creation.
• Application Dependency Mapping: Offers clarity on application interdependencies.
• Automated Forensics: Speeds up investigation processes.
• Managed Rule Sets: Ensures updated security practices.
• Runtime Mechanism: Protects applications during execution.
• Network Mapping: Strengthens overall network security.

• Enhanced Visibility: Provides comprehensive control across cloud environments.
• Cost Efficiency: Reduces operational costs and alert investigation time.
• Compliance Support: Assists in meeting industry benchmarks and regulations.
• Cloud Integration: Seamlessly works with AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Cortex Cloud is widely used in industries prioritizing container security and compliance across multi-cloud frameworks. Companies implement it for real-time management, vulnerability detection, and threat remediation. The focus is on aligning security posture with industry benchmarks and achieving automated compliance, facilitating robust protection across platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.