Sub-Second Response
Detects and mitigates attacks in milliseconds before they reach protected resources.
DDoS Protection
Sub-Second DDoS Response Without Cloud Scrubbing Latency
Corero Networks SmartWall provides always-on, inline DDoS mitigation that detects and responds to attacks in milliseconds — before traffic reaches protected resources.
IVI designs, deploys, and operates SmartWall as part of a complete DDoS protection architecture for organizations where sub-second response matters.
Inline protection with continuous, automatic mitigation operating without human intervention.
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Real-Time Protection
Inline DDoS mitigation that responds in milliseconds, not minutes
Traditional cloud scrubbing introduces detection delays and latency that affects all traffic. SmartWall provides continuous, inline protection with sub-second response.
The Cloud Scrubbing Gap
Traditional DDoS mitigation relies on detecting attacks, diverting traffic to cloud scrubbing centers, and routing clean traffic back — a process that takes minutes and introduces latency to all traffic.
Detection takes minutes, not milliseconds
Traffic diversion introduces 50-100ms+ latency
BGP re-routing is manual or semi-automated
Low-volume, targeted attacks often go undetected
Always-On Inline Protection
SmartWall deploys inline in the traffic path, inspecting every packet at line rate and mitigating attacks in the forwarding path without delay.
No Clean Traffic Impact
Legitimate traffic forwarded without latency while attack traffic is blocked.
Continuous Protection
Always-on monitoring and automatic mitigation without human intervention.
Implementation Process
Complete deployment from architecture design through steady-state operations.
1
Architecture & Deployment
Traffic assessment, SmartWall placement design, and inline integration with commissioning.
2
Policy Tuning & Integration
Detection threshold calibration, BGP integration, and SecureWatch analytics configuration.
3
Aegis Operations
Co-managed operations with health monitoring, attack analysis, and lifecycle management.
What We Deliver
Complete DDoS protection architecture with ongoing operations.
SmartWall Deployment
Inline appliances with tuned detection policies and BGP integration for upstream handling.
Analytics Integration
SecureWatch configuration with SIEM integration and attack event dashboards.
Aegis Operations
Co-managed monitoring, attack analysis, and monthly effectiveness reporting.
Operational Outcomes
- Sub-second attack detection and mitigation
- No latency impact on legitimate traffic
- Continuous automatic protection
- Operational visibility through SecureWatch and SIEM
Ideal Fit
- Organizations with internet-facing services and SLA commitments
- ISPs, hosting providers, and data center operators
- Environments where DDoS downtime has direct revenue impact
- Applications where cloud scrubbing latency is unacceptable
Protection Models
Choosing the right DDoS protection approach
Different protection models address different attack scenarios and operational requirements.
Cloud Scrubbing
Traditional Model
Routes attack traffic to remote scrubbing centers for cleaning. Handles volumetric attacks well with no on-premises hardware required.
Best Fit
Organizations with moderate DDoS exposure and acceptable latency tolerance.
Tradeoffs
Detection and diversion latency (minutes), routing latency during attacks, dependency on BGP diversion.
Recommended
Inline Protection
SmartWall
Sub-second detection and mitigation in the traffic path with no latency impact on clean traffic.
Best Fit
Organizations requiring immediate response to targeted attacks with latency-sensitive applications.
Tradeoffs
Finite appliance throughput requires upstream handling for massive volumetric attacks.
Hybrid Architecture
Best of Both
SmartWall for rapid response to targeted attacks, cloud scrubbing for terabit-scale volumetric floods.
Best Fit
Organizations with serious DDoS exposure requiring comprehensive protection.
Tradeoffs
Higher complexity and cost, but addresses all attack scenarios effectively.
IVI Recommendation
Recommended for most organizations with significant DDoS risk.
Why IVI
Complete DDoS protection architecture and operations
Architecture Expertise
We design complete DDoS protection architectures, not just appliance deployments.
Traffic Path Integration
SmartWall placement, BGP integration, and upstream handling design.
Policy Calibration
Detection thresholds tuned to your specific traffic environment.
Hybrid Design
Integration with cloud scrubbing for comprehensive protection.
Aegis Operations
Co-managed operations with attack analysis and lifecycle management.
Health Monitoring
SmartWall appliance performance and availability monitoring.
Attack Analysis
Monthly reporting on attack patterns and mitigation effectiveness.
Software Lifecycle
SmartWall software updates and policy maintenance.
Related Resources
Related Resources
Review related solution pages, supporting materials, and additional resources that help explain where this solution fits and how it can be applied.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Corero SmartWall DDoS protection.
We already have cloud scrubbing with our ISP. Why do we need inline protection?
Cloud scrubbing handles volumetric floods well but misses high-frequency, sub-volumetric attacks that target specific protocol weaknesses like TCP state exhaustion or DNS amplification at moderate volume. These attacks often complete before scrubbing diversion activates and before cloud providers' volume thresholds are met. SmartWall catches exactly these attack patterns in real time.
How does SmartWall perform at 100GbE or higher interface speeds?
Corero SmartWall appliances are purpose-built for high-speed environments including 100GbE with hardware-accelerated processing at line rate. Specific appliance selection and deployment topology depend on your interface count and traffic volume, which we size during the architecture design phase.
Will SmartWall affect normal traffic latency?
In normal conditions, SmartWall introduces negligible latency — typically sub-microsecond. The inline processing pipeline is hardware-accelerated and operates at line rate, so you should not observe measurable latency increase for legitimate traffic in production.
Is Corero appropriate for smaller organizations?
SmartWall is typically deployed by organizations with direct internet presence at meaningful bandwidth — ISPs, data center operators, financial services firms, and enterprises with high-availability requirements. For smaller organizations without direct internet peering, cloud scrubbing services are usually adequate and more cost-effective.
How does the hybrid architecture work with existing cloud scrubbing contracts?
The hybrid model uses SmartWall for rapid response to targeted attacks and triggers BGP diversion to your existing cloud scrubbing provider for volumetric floods that exceed inline capacity. We integrate SmartWall with your scrubbing provider's control plane so both protection mechanisms work together automatically.
What kind of operational visibility do we get with SmartWall?
SecureWatch provides analytics on attack frequency, volume, vector analysis, and mitigation effectiveness over time. We integrate attack event data with your SIEM for unified security visibility and provide monthly reports on attack activity and platform health through Aegis operations.