AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards applications running on AWS. DDoS attacks attempt to overwhelm your systems with massive amounts of traffic, making them unavailable to legitimate users. AWS Shield provides two tiers of protection to ad…AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards applications running on AWS. DDoS attacks attempt to overwhelm your systems with massive amounts of traffic, making them unavailable to legitimate users. AWS Shield provides two tiers of protection to address these threats.
AWS Shield Standard is automatically included at no extra cost for all AWS customers. It provides protection against the most common and frequently occurring network and transport layer DDoS attacks. This tier defends against attacks targeting your Amazon CloudFront distributions, Amazon Route 53 hosted zones, and Elastic Load Balancers. Shield Standard uses always-on detection and automatic inline mitigations to minimize application downtime and latency.
AWS Shield Advanced offers enhanced protections for more sophisticated and larger attacks. This premium tier provides additional detection and mitigation against large-scale DDoS attacks, near real-time visibility into attacks, and integration with AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall). Shield Advanced customers gain access to the AWS DDoS Response Team (DRT), which provides 24/7 support during active DDoS events. This tier also includes cost protection, meaning AWS will credit charges that result from DDoS-related scaling during an attack.
Shield Advanced protects resources including Amazon EC2 instances, Elastic Load Balancers, Amazon CloudFront, AWS Global Accelerator, and Amazon Route 53. Customers receive detailed attack diagnostics and historical reports through AWS Management Console.
From a compliance perspective, AWS Shield helps organizations maintain availability requirements mandated by various regulatory frameworks. The service operates within the AWS shared responsibility model, where AWS manages the infrastructure protection while customers configure their applications appropriately.
For the Cloud Practitioner exam, remember that Shield Standard is free and automatic, while Shield Advanced requires a subscription and provides enhanced features including DRT access and cost protection against DDoS-related charges.
AWS Shield: Complete Guide for AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam
What is AWS Shield?
AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards applications running on AWS. DDoS attacks attempt to overwhelm your application with massive amounts of traffic, making it unavailable to legitimate users.
Why is AWS Shield Important?
DDoS attacks are one of the most common cyber threats facing businesses today. They can: • Cause significant downtime and revenue loss • Damage brand reputation • Disrupt critical business operations
AWS Shield provides automatic protection against these attacks, ensuring your applications remain available and performant.
AWS Shield Tiers
1. AWS Shield Standard • Free - automatically enabled for all AWS customers • Protects against most common Layer 3 and Layer 4 DDoS attacks • Provides always-on detection and automatic inline mitigations • Protects services like Amazon CloudFront, Route 53, and Elastic Load Balancing
2. AWS Shield Advanced • Paid service - subscription-based pricing • Enhanced protection for Amazon EC2, Elastic Load Balancing, CloudFront, Global Accelerator, and Route 53 • 24/7 access to the AWS DDoS Response Team (DRT) • Real-time visibility into attacks through CloudWatch metrics • Cost protection - credits for scaling charges during DDoS attacks • Advanced attack diagnostics and reporting • Web Application Firewall (WAF) integration at no additional cost
How AWS Shield Works
AWS Shield operates by: • Continuously monitoring network traffic for suspicious patterns • Using machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies • Automatically applying mitigations to minimize attack impact • Scaling protection capacity to handle large-scale attacks • Integrating with AWS WAF for application-layer protection
1. Shield Standard vs Advanced - If a question mentions free DDoS protection or basic protection, the answer is Shield Standard. If it mentions 24/7 support, DRT access, or cost protection, choose Shield Advanced.
2. DDoS = Think Shield - Whenever you see DDoS mentioned in a question, AWS Shield should be your first consideration.
3. Layer 3/4 vs Layer 7 - Shield handles network and transport layer attacks. For application layer (Layer 7) protection, AWS WAF is used alongside Shield.
4. Cost Protection Feature - Only Shield Advanced provides cost protection credits during attacks. This is a common exam topic.
5. DRT Access - The DDoS Response Team is exclusive to Shield Advanced subscribers.
6. Automatic Enablement - Shield Standard is automatically enabled - you do not need to configure anything.
7. Integration Questions - Shield works best when combined with CloudFront, Route 53, and WAF for comprehensive protection.
8. Shared Responsibility - AWS manages Shield infrastructure; you are responsible for configuring Shield Advanced and responding to notifications.
Common Exam Scenarios
• Scenario: Company needs basic DDoS protection at no cost → AWS Shield Standard • Scenario: Company needs 24/7 expert support during attacks → AWS Shield Advanced • Scenario: Company wants reimbursement for scaling costs during attacks → AWS Shield Advanced • Scenario: Protecting a CloudFront distribution from DDoS → AWS Shield (Standard is automatic)