Overview of IBM Cloud Internet Services (CIS)
IBM Cloud Internet Services (CIS) is a comprehensive suite of edge network services designed to secure, optimize, and ensure the high availability of internet-facing applications, websites, and services. Powered by Cloudflare, CIS integrates seamlessly into the IBM Cloud, offering a one-stop solution for web performance and security.
Key Features and Functionality
Security
- DDoS Protection: CIS provides scalable and high-performant protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, ensuring application availability and mitigating volumetric, protocol, and application attacks.
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Offers a layered defense to protect data against sophisticated attackers and malicious bots, safeguarding web applications from various threats.
- Bot Protection: Protects against bot attacks, enhancing the overall security posture of internet-facing applications.
Performance Optimization
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): Utilizes Cloudflare’s global network of over 300 Points of Presence (PoPs) to optimize web applications, enhance mobile user experiences, and ensure global responsiveness and availability.
- Global Load Balancer (GLB): Reduces latency and increases availability by routing traffic across servers based on their availability and service health.
- Caching: Provides location-based access, removing latency and improving performance by fine-tuning website behavior with page rules.
Network Services
- Domain Name Service (DNS): Offers fast resolution of hostnames to their corresponding IP addresses or aliases, ensuring efficient and reliable DNS operations.
- Transport Layer Security (TLS): Secures data transfer with the latest encryption standards, ensuring secure communication between clients and servers.
Advanced Capabilities
- Edge Functions: Allows customers to create or modify existing applications without configuring or maintaining infrastructure, providing powerful customization of the edge proxy to filter internet traffic more efficiently.
- Smart Routing, Rate Limiting, and Range: Available in Enterprise plans, these features ensure content is delivered on the fastest path, protect against volumetric and brute force attacks, and extend protection to TCP applications and API endpoints on non-HTTP/HTTPS ports.
Integration and Ease of Use
- CIS is seamlessly integrated into the IBM Cloud IT management platform, providing a single, simple user experience to access and set up network services in just a few steps. This integration reduces complexity and time for customers by eliminating the need to rely on multiple vendors for security and performance services.
Pricing and Plans
IBM Cloud Internet Services is available in multiple plan levels, including Standard and various Enterprise plans (Enterprise Essential, Enterprise Advanced, Enterprise Premier, and Enterprise Usage). Each plan offers a range of features and capabilities tailored to different business needs, with options for a free trial to test the services.