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Organizations across every industry face a critical security challenge: how do you defend against increasingly sophisticated DDoS attacks without sacrificing network performance, adding complexity, or breaking the budget?
This was the central question explored in our recent webinar, “Heroes of the Edge: Real-Time Defense Without Compromise,” featuring Corey Still, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Corero Network Security, and Nick Davy, Director of Product Management at HPE Networking (formerly Juniper Networks).
The Problem: Security That Compromises Performance
For years, DDoS protection has meant accepting trade-offs. Traditional solutions force organizations to choose between protection and performance, often introducing:
- Latency penalties from traffic redirection to centralized scrubbing centers
- Complex network re-architecture requiring significant infrastructure changes
- Single points of failure that can become bottlenecks during attacks
- Separate appliances and infrastructure that duplicate existing investments
Ironically, many legacy DDoS solutions fail when facing the exact traffic volumes they’re designed to protect against—essentially helping complete the attack they’re meant to stop.
The Solution: Distributed Intelligence at the Edge
Corero’s approach fundamentally reimagines DDoS protection by leveraging the infrastructure organizations already have in place. Here’s how it works:
Real-Time Sampling and Mirroring
Corero uses real-time sampling and mirroring of traffic at the network edge to provide complete visibility without any performance penalties. Your routers are already processing this traffic—we’re simply adding intelligence to what’s already happening.
No Network Re-Architecture Required
Unlike traditional solutions that hairpin traffic to centralized scrubbing centers, Corero processes threats right where they enter the network. Attack mitigation happens in seconds, right at the front door, with always-on packet-level monitoring and automated machine learning analysis.
Integration with Juniper Networks – HPE Networking Platforms
The integration with HPE’s MX and PTX series routers via NETCONF is where the magic happens. Corero software identifies the “evil bits” in traffic and pushes rules down to routers to instantly mitigate attacks. It’s software-defined intelligence, but the actual forwarding decisions are enacted by routers you already own.
"Every router port, every edge of your network becomes a protection point. There's no single point of failure, no redirecting into a scrubbing center. As networks evolve to satisfy increased traffic demands, the capabilities to filter, forward, and shape traffic grow along with them."
Proven Results: From Minutes to Seconds
The proof is in the performance. TierPoint reduced their DDoS mitigation time from six minutes to 18 seconds. That’s not an incremental improvement—it’s a fundamental transformation in threat response capability.
Other success stories include:
- PlusNet deployed the solution across their entire network serving 25,000 businesses in two cities across Germany. During pilot testing, they immediately identified and mitigated attacks that weren’t being caught before.
- Linode transitioned from manual mitigation to an automated, resilient, and scalable DDoS protection model, reducing human intervention while improving customer satisfaction and network uptime.
Beyond Protection: A Revenue Opportunity
For service providers, hosting companies, and MSSPs, this approach transforms infrastructure investment into a revenue-generating opportunity through DDoS Protection as a Service (DPaaS).
The same routers protecting your infrastructure can now protect your customers or downstream stakeholders. Key benefits include:
- Turn protection capacity into a sellable service
- Multi-tenant portal allowing individual customers to view their attack status with granular drill-down capability
- White-label options to deliver branded protection services
- Competitive differentiation in crowded markets
- Enhanced customer retention and upsell opportunities
During non-attack periods, protection infrastructure isn’t sitting idle—it’s available to serve customers who need it. That’s just smart business.
A Phased Approach
Organizations don’t need to “boil the ocean” to get started. Here’s a practical implementation framework:
Week 1: Infrastructure Assessment
Assess existing router infrastructure and identify optimal deployment points.
Week 2-3: Quick Win Pilot
Start with one critical spot to demonstrate immediate value. PlusNet saw results during their pilot phase before even moving to production.
Week 3-4: Business Case Development
Compare current total cost of ownership versus leveraging existing infrastructure. Calculate revenue potential if offering protection as a service.
Ongoing: Scaled Deployment
Prioritize protection points, prove value, build momentum, then scale across the network.
The key is starting small, proving value, and building from success.
A Partnership Built to Last
Corero and Juniper Networks (now HPE Networking) have been partnering since 2018, and in April 2024, expanded the relationship further by enabling HPE Networking to go to market with Corero’s entire suite of products and services.
"It's the joint innovation we have across the capabilities of both organizations. The intelligence from Corero combined with capabilities built into our routing platforms—one plus one equals three."
This partnership represents a shared commitment to innovation, not just in technology but in how we serve customers. Direct, coordinated support between Juniper and Corero support teams is built right into the fabric of the relationship.
What’s Next: Technical Deep Dive
While the recent webinar covered the “why” and “what” of edge-based DDoS protection, the next session will show you the “how.”
Join us for “Heroes of the Edge: The Technical Deep Dive” featuring Jason from Corero’s Solutions Architecture team alongside Nick Davy. You’ll see:
- Live attack simulation with real-time mitigation
- HPE router integration in action
- Advanced attack scenarios
- Multi-tenant portal walkthrough
- Interactive Q&A with the ability to request specific demonstrations
This isn’t a canned presentation—questions will be addressed in real time, and you’ll see your requests demonstrated live within the infrastructure and portal.
The Bottom Line
The future of DDoS protection isn’t about adding more infrastructure—it’s about intelligently leveraging what you already have. With AI and 5G driving demand for extremely low latency applications, organizations need automated, mature solutions that can protect latency-sensitive workloads without becoming bottlenecks themselves.
The approach Corero and HPE Networking have pioneered proves that you don’t have to compromise between security and performance. You can have comprehensive DDoS protection that:
- Uses existing router infrastructure
- Mitigates attacks in seconds, not minutes
- Scales organically with network growth
- Creates new revenue opportunities
- Delivers measurable ROI
As Corey Still concluded: “The business case is clear. Technology is proven. The results speak for themselves.”
The only question remains: when do you start?
