If you own a website, you’re probably looking for ways to increase site security for your website traffic. After all, a company is only good as its security. If data becomes compromised or stolen, it can sink a business. Before purchasing countless programs, software, and subscriptions promising to increase your web security, you must understand what they are and how they work.
Table of Contents
What is CDN?
How does a Content Delivery Network Operate?
Does CDN replace traditional hosting?
Can a Content Delivery Network Continuously Keep a Website Online?
Will CDN Help Website Security?
Who would benefit from a CDN?
Understanding Traditional CDNs versus Modern CDNs
Storage Differences Between Modern and Traditional CDNs
Security of Both Modern and Traditional CDNs
Final Thoughts on CDNs Overall
What is CDN?
CDN is referred to as a content delivery network. It refers to any geographically distributed servers that work together to offer fast delivery of internet content. This content can include stylesheets, images, HTML files, javascript files, and online videos. The majority of all web traffic, including Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook, is served through CDN services.
How does a Content Delivery Network Operate?
As a network of servers linked together, a CDN delivers content reliably, quickly, cheaply, and as securely as possible. The speed of this exchange is improved with exchange points among different networks. These exchange points are called IXPs. They are the primary location of Internet provider connections. In addition, a CDN place Data Centers across the globe in strategic locations to enhance security and allow continued performance despite congestion online.
Does CDN replace traditional hosting?
No, CDN doesn’t replace the need for traditional hosting, but it does improve website performance. Several websites struggle to maintain performance needs with traditional hosting platforms, making CDNs a popular option for those wanting to improve security, reduce bandwidth, and limit service interruptions.
Can a Content Delivery Network Continuously Keep a Website Online?
Uptime (the amount of time your website is continuously online) is critical for online success. Spikes in traffic or specific hardware failures can cause servers to go down, preventing web traffic from accessing your website. A CDN helps limit this activity through multiple aspects.
Automatic failover ensures uninterrupted services for users, even if servers are down. This means regardless of hardware malfunction, website traffic can be redistributed to operational servers, limiting downtime entirely.
Efficient balancing of website load. This ensures that all network traffic is distributed evenly across multiple servers. When websites experience boosts in traffic (through a spike in popularity or malware), servers can accommodate the additional load.
Should an entire data center have technical issues, traffic is transferred to another available data center. This transfer ensures that users keep access to the website.
Will CDN Help Website Security?
All information security is essential, including websites that offer SSL/TLS certificates. These certificates provide data encryption, authentication, and overall integrity to the website in question. A CDN continues to keep the site secured with fresh certificates. These required steps will help prevent data attacks and allows the transfer of data across multiple locations. This certificate makes sure that only the intended recipient receives the information.
Currently, one of the highest security vulnerabilities is the DDoS attack. These include botnet attacks, using website traffic as the primary target. In this situation, the CDN can handle the influx in traffic through scalability. Datacenter locations are capable of sizing bandwidth capability. As such, the CDN can withstand any incoming attack traffic that could overwhelm a traditional server.
Who would benefit from a CDN?
Generally speaking, anyone who currently owns or operates a mobile application or website should consider a CDN. To ensure optimal website safety, it’s always wise to run a
public data check
on any potential employees or contractors working on the site. This can limit the potential for problematic code, malicious intent, and optimal security outside of your hosting. Large or complex sites with traffic from around the globe will find CDNs particularly useful, as will platforms with a lot of dynamic content.
Content delivery networks bring scalable opportunities for heavy traffic, faster loading times overall, improved site performance, and improved website security for all websites.
Understanding Traditional CDNs versus Modern CDNs
Traditional CDNs are known for lagging in advancements in technology and hardware and are often not considered the same as modern. Traditional CDNs have been around for over five years, without much improvement overall. As a whole, traditional CDNs will only cache static content. Static content is considered anything that doesn’t require a user’s input. Images,Javascript, or videos are all examples of static content.
Alternatively,
dynamic content
includes frequently or consistently changing content that demands server logic. This would include changes to a shopping cart or online purchase transactions. Due to the sensitive nature, it would have to be passed through the original server.
Storage Differences Between Modern and Traditional CDNs
Initially, a client would only receive so much edge space due to spinning hard drives. This space requirement would require content to be prioritized, identifying which information would be stored at the edge and what could be placed further in. Ultimately, this meant that larger websites were given higher priority over smaller sites.
Comparatively, modern CDNs are built using large networks of
SSDs
. Solid-state drives can cache all content equally at the edge, meaning higher performance and customer satisfaction.
Security of Both Modern and Traditional CDNs
Previously, CDNs were capable of being down using a simple
forward-loop attack
. However, these content delivery networks were attacked by malicious customers, creating a forwarding loop across multiple CDNs. As the request can be made indefinitely, it would rapidly use the resources and would cause denial of service attacks. Massive websites using CDNs could be taken down with these attacks, which is a scary realization.
Currently, most CDNs have a built-in loop protection mechanism, limiting the impact of such attacks. Notably, the configuration of a CDN can protect websites against malicious attacks, particularly DDoS attacks.
Final Thoughts on CDNs Overall
Overall, any website owner looking to increase their website’s performance and security simultaneously should consider a content delivery network. The functionality of the site improves with the CDN, increasing customer satisfaction and business reputation over time. Businesses don’t have to worry about potentially losing income, sales, or traffic to the site with virtually no downtime.
Owners will still have to purchase standard hosting packages if they want to secure a CDN, as these don’t replace the common hosting requirement. Websites large and small will benefit from a content delivery network, as all sites are treated equally thanks to SSD integration. The improved website functionality and security are a valuable benefit to anyone with a website or mobile application.