

Imperva Application Security Platform and Akamai API Security are competing in the application and API security category. While Imperva is favored for its pricing and support, Akamai is seen as a worthwhile investment due to its comprehensive feature set.
Features: Imperva Application Security Platform is recognized for its wide-ranging web application security, threat detection capabilities, and extensive dashboard customization. Akamai API Security is valued for advanced API traffic protection, scalability, and real-time data analytics.
Room for Improvement: Imperva could improve by enhancing API security features, expanding cloud capabilities, and refining real-time threat intelligence. Akamai should focus on reducing setup complexity, optimizing false-positive management, and expanding documentation for diverse use cases.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Imperva offers a straightforward deployment model with robust documentation and reliable help. Akamai provides flexible deployment options and strong customer service, focusing on adaptability and problem resolution.
Pricing and ROI: Imperva Application Security Platform is appreciated for reasonable setup costs and satisfactory ROI for medium businesses. Akamai API Security, though more expensive initially, justifies its cost with a compelling ROI due to its robust security and performance features.
Getting everything from one single portal without anyone's interference saved us a lot of money, time, and frustration.
The discovery of previously undocumented APIs reduced attack surface blind spots.
I have seen a return on investment, and the main thing is the time saved, allowing our employees to focus on other priority work.
They know how much money they are losing while the system is down, so by increasing the possibility of not having a down website or web application, return on investment can be calculated easily.
Regarding return on investment, ROI, I can say it is noticeable with Imperva Application Security Platform.
I would rate the customer support a ten on a scale of 1 to 10.
The technical support from Akamai API Security is responsive when I have dealt with them.
The employment and support are of excellent quality.
I would rate the technical support of Imperva DDoS as ten.
The response is satisfactory, though the gaps in enablement and lab sessions are clear.
My experience with technical support from Imperva Application Security Platform was good when I reached out to them.
Akamai API Security has good scalability and does not have problems because it works with APIs.
99% of customers are using the cloud version of Imperva DDoS protection, so they just purchase the new license and scale as needed.
I have not even needed support after deployment, since it has remained stable.
My experience has been good, and it is an excellent WAF solution.
It is also a stable product without much glitch or downtime.
One notable drawback is that, unlike Fortinet, which offers fast track labs and continuous enablement, Imperva Application Security Platform lacks lab access and fast track labs for enablement and product advertising.
The stability of Imperva DDoS is very good, as it seems they have a lot of servers around the world.
From a pricing standpoint, licensing and pricing depend from module to module. Some modules are expensive, and some are affordable.
If Akamai API Security could provide many more security options and make it more transparent to users about exactly what is happening, that would be beneficial.
A potential improvement for Akamai API Security would be more granular risk scoring per API asset.
To convince my clients, a purely on-prem solution would be ideal since they are financial institutions.
Maybe Imperva DDoS could use endpoints to get information about the attacks before they commence from the endpoint level or establish cooperation with endpoint vendors to share this information.
Regarding return on investment, ROI, I can say it is noticeable with Imperva Application Security Platform.
It is not expensive.
The cost is justified in organizations with large API exposure.
I would rate the pricing of Imperva DDoS as five, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive.
This gave us an overall picture of how many APIs we are using across our organization, and now we are more cautious about which APIs should be used publicly and how we secure our APIs.
The automatic API discovery has worked well for me by helping me identify APIs that were not formally documented, detect risky data exposure patterns, and flag abnormal traffic behavior early.
Before an attack goes live, we detect it on the WAF itself, which is the outer layer of security. We detect it and block it.
I have utilized Imperva's Intelligent Traffic Filtering feature. This feature helps me understand how the attack is progressing and what is happening inside the requests to our website.
I believe the reputational analysis in Imperva Application Security Platform is effective for blocking security threats before impact.
The main drawback for signature-based approaches happens when there is a new zero-day attack that is not in the database.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Akamai API Security | 9.1% |
| Imperva Application Security Platform | 9.3% |
| Other | 81.6% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 4 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 84 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 25 |
| Large Enterprise | 62 |
Akamai API Security offers robust protection against DDoS attacks and is highly valued for its efficient API throttling capabilities, allowing multiple users to manage traffic effectively. This ensures both optimal performance and enhanced security by controlling API access and utilization.
\n\nAkamai API Security excels in safeguarding APIs with its industry-leading throttling features, allowing multiple users to prevent overload and abuse. By managing traffic efficiently, users can maintain service availability even under high demand or potential attacks. While the platform successfully combines machine learning with API throttling in its developing URL protection feature, there\'s room for improvement, especially in preventing false positives from reputable sources and precisely detecting threats from malicious hosting providers.
\n\n**What are the key features of Akamai API Security?**\n
- **API Throttling**: Efficiently manage and control the flow of API requests, ensuring consistent performance and avoiding overloads.\n
- **DDoS Protection**: Robust defenses against distributed denial-of-service attacks, safeguarding the availability and reliability of services.\n
- **Machine Learning Integration**: Enhanced threat detection by distinguishing between legitimate and malicious API calls, refining security measures.\n
- **URL Protection**: Developing feature that combines machine learning and API throttling for advanced security, with a focus on refining accuracy.
**What benefits should be looked for in reviews when evaluating Akamai API Security?**\n
- **Improved Performance**: Reduced risk of API overloads and maintained service availability during high traffic periods.\n
- **Enhanced Security**: Strong defenses against DDoS attacks and abuse, ensuring data integrity and safe access.\n
- **Efficient Traffic Management**: Smarter throttling mechanisms equipped to handle large volumes of requests, prioritizing legitimate usage.\n
- **Advanced Threat Detection**: Utilization of machine learning to better identify and respond to security threats.
Implementation of Akamai API Security across industries varies. For example, e-commerce platforms benefit from its robust DDoS protection and API throttling, ensuring customer transactions remain secure and services available during peak shopping times. Financial service companies use its machine learning capabilities to detect and block suspicious activities, preserving the integrity of client transactions while managing large volumes of API calls. Media streaming services leverage its ability to prevent overload, providing uninterrupted streaming experiences even during high demand events.
Imperva Application Security Platform delivers comprehensive and continuous web threat protection. Renowned for its ease of use, it shields web applications and databases from various cyber threats while integrating seamlessly with cloud and on-premises environments.
Imperva Application Security Platform protects web environments by offering advanced security measures against threats like DDoS attacks, SQL injections, and cross-site scripting. As a robust web application firewall, it provides extensive monitoring and bot management capabilities. The platform integrates content delivery networks for enhanced performance and scalability, while real-time traffic analysis ensures consistent protection. Despite its strengths, improvements can be made in policy management and customization options. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and more competitive pricing models. The inclusion of AI for enhanced analytics is also anticipated.
What are the key features of Imperva Application Security Platform?Imperva Application Security Platform is implemented in industries needing strong database and application protection. Companies use it to enforce geolocation restrictions and manage bots, benefiting sectors like finance and e-commerce where data security and threat monitoring are critical. Its ability to protect and ensure data accessibility makes it integral to business operations prioritizing cyber resilience.
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