Use Case
DDoS Protection for
Media & Live Streaming
Streaming platforms, live events, and media distribution networks operate on tight latency budgets. When a DDoS attack hits during a live broadcast or high-traffic release, viewers leave and do not come back. Flowtriq detects attacks in under 1 second with dynamic baselines that separate legitimate audience surges from volumetric floods.
The Problem
Streaming platforms are high-value DDoS targets
Live streaming infrastructure operates under unique pressure. Content is time-sensitive: a buffering interruption during a championship match, concert, or product launch cannot be replayed. Attackers know this, which is why live events attract targeted DDoS campaigns timed to maximum impact windows.
OTT platforms, CDN edge nodes, and ingest servers all face distinct attack surfaces. An attack on the ingest endpoint interrupts the source feed. An attack on edge nodes degrades delivery to millions of concurrent viewers. An attack on the origin server takes down the entire catalog. Each component needs independent monitoring.
The false positive problem is acute for media companies. Legitimate traffic spikes during viral moments or scheduled events look like attacks to naive detection systems. Enterprise DDoS tools with static thresholds either trigger false alerts during every popular stream or set thresholds so high they miss real attacks entirely.
20:14:00 UDP flood targeting ingest server
20:14:30 Stream buffer ratio climbs to 12%
20:15:00 Viewer complaints on social media
20:18:00 NOC begins manual investigation
20:25:00 Attack source identified
20:28:00 Manual mitigation applied
20:28:00 Stream degraded for 14 minutes
Viewers lost: 340,000
Ad revenue impact: significant
Social media complaints: 4,200+
How Flowtriq Helps
Keep streams online during attacks
The FTAgent runs on each server in your streaming infrastructure: ingest nodes, transcoders, origin servers, and edge caches. It reads kernel-level network statistics every second and fires mitigation when traffic crosses dynamic thresholds. The stream continues without interruption.
Dynamic baselines adapt to your traffic patterns automatically. When viewership ramps up during a scheduled event, the baseline adjusts. When an attack arrives as a sudden burst of non-streaming protocol traffic, it is detected immediately regardless of the current viewer count.
For large-scale streaming operations with network equipment, Flowtriq also ingests sFlow, NetFlow, and IPFIX from your routers and switches. This gives you fleet-wide visibility across all your CDN points of presence without agents on every edge cache.
20:14:01 PPS=340,000 BPS=18Gbps THRESHOLD
T+0.1s Incident opened · UDP Flood · 97%
T+0.3s Auto-mitigation · nftables rule applied
T+0.5s Alerts fired · Slack · PagerDuty
T+0.6s Status page updated
20:14:02 PPS=86,200 BPS=12.1Gbps MITIGATED
20:30:00 Attack subsides · rules withdrawn
Stream interruption: 0 seconds
Buffer ratio: unchanged
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Key Features
Built for streaming infrastructure
Per-node monitoring across the pipeline
Monitor ingest servers, transcoders, origin nodes, and edge caches independently. Each component has its own traffic baseline, detection threshold, and mitigation policy. An attack on one node does not trigger false alerts on others.
4-level auto-mitigation
Kernel-level firewall rules drop attack traffic instantly. If the flood exceeds local capacity, BGP FlowSpec, RTBH, and cloud scrubbing activate automatically. Rules auto-withdraw when the attack ends, restoring full network capacity for viewers.
Dynamic baselines for peak traffic
Flowtriq learns your traffic patterns over time. Scheduled events, viral moments, and seasonal peaks adjust the baseline automatically. The system distinguishes legitimate audience growth from attack traffic without manual threshold tuning.
Event-time protection
Live events are high-value attack windows. Flowtriq monitors your entire distribution chain in real time during events. Ingest nodes, transcoding servers, and distribution endpoints each have independent detection that fires in under 1 second.
PCAP forensics
Every incident includes packet captures for post-event analysis. Determine exactly when an attack started, what protocol was used, and how traffic was distributed. Useful for post-event reports, advertiser communication, and internal retrospectives.
Real-time alerting and status pages
Route alerts to Slack, PagerDuty, OpsGenie, or email. Auto-publish status page updates when incidents open and resolve. Reduce social media complaints by giving your audience real-time visibility into service status.
By the Numbers
The impact on streaming operations
Before & After
How Flowtriq transforms streaming DDoS response
Without Flowtriq
- Attacks detected after viewers report buffering
- NOC scrambles during live events
- False positives during legitimate audience spikes
- No per-component visibility across the pipeline
- Viewers leave and do not return
- Post-event forensics require manual log analysis
With Flowtriq
- Detection in under 1 second per node
- Automated response requires no manual intervention
- Dynamic baselines separate audiences from attacks
- Independent monitoring for each pipeline component
- Streams stay online during mitigated attacks
- Full PCAP forensics for every incident
Pricing
Per-node pricing with no bandwidth fees
Monitor ingest servers, transcoders, origin nodes, and edge caches at the same per-node price regardless of traffic volume. No bandwidth surcharges during peak events. Flow sources from $19/source/month.
FAQ
Common questions from media and streaming teams
How does Flowtriq distinguish a viral content spike from a DDoS attack?
Flowtriq uses dynamic baselines and traffic composition analysis. A viral spike ramps up with normal HTTP/HTTPS connections from diverse geographic sources. A DDoS flood arrives as a sudden burst of single-protocol packets (UDP, SYN, or ICMP) from concentrated source ranges. Flowtriq classifies traffic by protocol mix and packet characteristics, not just volume.
Can Flowtriq protect CDN edge nodes?
Yes. Install the FTAgent on each edge node in your CDN or origin infrastructure. Each node gets its own traffic baseline and independent detection loop. When one edge node is targeted, mitigation fires locally without affecting other nodes in the fleet.
Does it work with existing CDN providers like Cloudflare or Akamai?
Yes. Flowtriq complements CDN-level protection by providing per-origin-server visibility and local mitigation for attacks that bypass the CDN edge. Install the FTAgent on your origin servers behind any CDN for defense-in-depth coverage.
What about protecting live event streams specifically?
Live events are high-value targets because the content is time-sensitive. Flowtriq monitors your ingest servers, transcoding infrastructure, and distribution nodes individually. If an attacker targets your ingest endpoint during a live broadcast, detection fires in under 1 second and local firewall rules drop the attack before the stream is interrupted.
How does pricing work for large streaming deployments?
Flowtriq charges $9.99 per node per month, or $7.99 with annual billing. Whether a node handles 100 Mbps or 100 Gbps of streaming traffic, the price is the same. No bandwidth fees. Flow sources for router monitoring start at $19/source/month with volume discounts for large deployments.
Related Use Cases
Flowtriq for content delivery
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