valantic viewpoint

DDoS Mitigation & Application Security

Cyberattacks are surging – more frequent, more complex, and costlier. This fuels a booming market for adaptive network and application security solutions.

This is a excerpt of our viewpoint on DDos Mitigation & Application Security. Get in touch if you would like to learn more about the market dynamics, business model, competitive landscape and growth drivers in this market.

Request Viewpoint

IT specialist with laptop talks to technician in the data center.

€35bn

DDos Mitigation & Application Security Market Size

11.6%

CAGR for DDos Mitigation & Application Security Market (2024-29)

32%

of global Web Traffic is from malicious Bots

Our perspective on the network & application security market

01 Executive Summary
02 Market Trends
03 Market Drivers
04 Competitive Landscape
05 Business Model & Value Chain
06 Growth Levers

Executive Summary

Fast-Growing DDoS Mitigation & Application Security Market Led by AI-native, Cloud-based Solution Providers

Cybersecurity is evolving rapidly as threats intensify in scope and scale. The DDoS Mitigation & Application Security segment has emerged as a key growth pocket within the broader cybersecurity landscape, particularly in light of rising DDoS attacks and increasingly intelligent bots. Market growth is fueled by compliance demands, digital transformation, and sector-wide vulnerability to downtime. Modern solutions are characterized by cloud-native deployment, AI-powered mitigation, and automated threat intelligence, addressing a wide spectrum of attack types.

Market players range from hyperscalers offering bundled security to regional specialists delivering deep expertise in niche vectors. While global leaders dominate scale, niche providers often lead in time-to-mitigate (TTM) performance. Future growth will depend on providers’ ability to evolve alongside attacker sophistication, particularly across emerging vectors like quantum-enabled threats or multi-layer turbo attacks.

Key Findings

1

Cybersecurity is moving from manual defense to automated AI-driven platforms.
2

Bot and multi-vector attacks demand real-time detection and mitigation across all OSI layers.
3

The competitive field is fragmented; specialist providers can outperform hyperscalers in mitigation speed.

Request the full 15+ Page Analysis on DDoS Mitigation & Application Security.

Request Viewpoint

DDosMitigation-Application-Security-Viewpoint-Title-Page

Christoph Nichau
valantic Partner

”Modern DDoS threats demand real-time, multi-layered mitigation - and only a few providers deliver that.“

Market Trends: Escalating threats drive DDos Mitigation & Application Security Market

Cyberattacks, especially DDoS, are increasing in both frequency and complexity. From 2018 to 2023, attack volumes grew at a CAGR of 14%, while average attack sizes reached 5.6 Tbps in peak cases. The trend is marked by a shift toward multi-vector and AI-enhanced attacks. Web APIs and cloud-native platforms are particularly exposed, with over 70 billion API-related attacks recorded in Q1 2024 alone.

Key Takeaways:

DDoS attack volume and bandwidth increasing sharply
API attacks up 49 % YoY (Q1 2023–Q1 2024)
Cloud-native infrastructures are targeted through new methods

Two people with laptop table with slide on DDos mitigation market trends.

Market Drivers: AI, automation & cloud migration

Legacy defenses can’t keep pace with today’s threat velocity. Growth in this market is underpinned by ongoing digital transformation across sectors such as banking, gaming, and public services. Regulatory pressure and the criticality of uptime in digital services make cybersecurity a non-negotiable spend. Emerging technologies like 5G and AI not only empower users but also attackers – necessitating advanced defense solutions.

Key Takeaways:

AI models reduce manual detection time from 35 mins to real-time.
71 % of vulnerabilities stem from outdated application logic or poor configuration.
5G and IoT proliferation are increasing attack bandwidths.

Business woman explaining business plan on laptop

Competitive Landscape: Challengers drive growth by outperforming global scale providers

The DDoS Mitigation & Application Security market is defined by five clusters: hyperscalers (AWS, Google, Azure), CDN giants (Akamai, Cloudflare), cloud-native specialists (Link11, Myra, Imperva, Radware, Netscout), hardware security vendors (Fortinet, Palo Alto, F5), and telecom operators. Larger providers such as hyperscalers and telecoms typically offer broad bundled solutions, but these lack the specialization to deliver best-in-class protection.

By contrast, cloud-native specialists set the performance benchmark: agile, AI-powered platforms achieve superior time-to-mitigate (TTM) and advanced multi-vector defense.

Link11 and Myra stand out in this group, combining European roots with global reach and full-stack solutions that rival industry leaders. This fragmentation creates a dynamic playing field where speed, automation, and depth of specialization increasingly separate leaders from laggards.

Key Takeaways:

Hyperscalers and telecoms lack the specialization needed for top performance
Cloud-native specialists (e.g., Link11, Myra) outperform with rapid, AI-driven mitigation.
Real-time mitigation (TTM) speed is a clear differentiator

Man using laptop at home showing slide on competitive landscape in DDos Mitigation & Application Security.

Business Model: AI-driven, ssage-based platforms with automated delivery models

Typical players operate recurring-revenue SaaS models with automated detection and mitigation workflows. Sales are often direct-to-enterprise, supplemented by managed service provider (MSP) and VAR channels. Value creation lies in platform scalability, AI-led analytics, and integration with client network layers (OSI 3–7). Differentiation hinges on proprietary algorithms and infrastructure (e.g., scrubbing centers).

Key Takeaways:

SaaS-based, usage-based pricing common
Distribution by leading players is direct-to-enterprise supported by managed providers
Deep integration in client network layers (OSI 3 – 7) locks-in customers

Laptop on table DDos Mitigation slide on Deep-Dive on attacker types.

Growth Levers: AI, globalization, and segment-specific offerings

To drive growth, market participants invest in AI for detection and mitigation, expand globally via cloud networks, and tailor offerings to industry pain points. Increasing attack costs and availability of attack tools make proactive defense essential. The most successful providers adopt multi-layered protection and continuously enhance response automation.

Key Takeaways:

AI for detection and mitigation is key to sustain the leading product offering
Industry-specific use cases are essential for targeted growth initatives (e.g., finance, gaming)
Partnerships with managed service prodivders key to scale

Ein Mann in Geschäftskleidung interagiert mit digitalen Datenvisualisierungen und Diagrammen der Konzernberichterstattung auf einem großen Touchscreen-Display in einer Büroumgebung.

Request Viewpoint

Get in touch with our Experts to discuss this Viewpoint

Want the full breakdown? The full viewpoint on DDos Mitigation & Application Security is available on request. The typical scope includes market size, market trends & drivers, competitive landscape, competitor groups, competitor benchmarks, explanation of the business model, value chain and future growth levers.