In 2024, 94% of web applications harbor high-severity vulnerabilities, and a cyberattack is executed approximately every 39 seconds. This threat landscape necessitates robust, layered protection to fend off malicious bot activity, mitigate DDoS attacks, and protect APIs. Gcore WAAP (web application and API protection) is engineered to meet this need, comprising WAF, bot protection, L7 DDoS mitigation, and API security. In this article, we’ll explain why a WAF alone may not be sufficient and how Gcore’s WAAP solution can safeguard your web applications and APIs from ever-evolving cyberthreats.
Why WAAP Matters: Attackers and Botnets
Attackers leverage increasingly advanced methods, including the deployment of botnets, to launch DDoS attacks. “Botnets, networks of compromised computers controlled by a single entity, are commonly used to launch cyberattacks like distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and spread malware, highlighting the need for advanced DDoS security solutions. The OWASP Top 10 provides an industry-standard and regularly updated list of the biggest threats facing applications.
Traditional Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) provide a critical layer of defense, but they are often insufficient against these complex and evolving threats. A WAF alone may struggle to differentiate between legitimate and malicious bot traffic or may be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of an advanced DDoS attack.
This is where Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) becomes essential. A robust WAAP solution, like Gcore’s, integrates multiple layers of defense to address the multifaceted nature of modern cyber threats. It combines WAF capabilities with advanced bot protection, layer 7 DDoS mitigation, and comprehensive API security. This holistic approach ensures that your web applications and APIs are protected against a wide range of attacks, providing peace of mind in an increasingly hostile cyber environment.
Who Is at Risk?
Everybody with a presence on the internet is at risk, from small businesses to large enterprises. It’s a common misperception that small businesses won’t be targeted by botnets: Malicious bots may harvest data or execute DDoS assaults on businesses of any size and even pick smaller businesses as the target of their choice on the assumption that they’re less protected. Even if you do not process sensitive data, a successful assault may take your business offline and harm your image, both of which can cause lost revenue in both the short and long term.
Can I Just Block All Bots?
No, it’s not a good idea to stop all bots. You want to avoid blocking good bots that perform useful duties such as search engine indexing, you might sabotage your SEO efforts.
This makes a comprehensive WAAP solution crucial for businesses of all sizes. WAAP ensures that defense against harmful bots while allowing beneficial ones to function properly.
Why WAFs Alone Aren’t Sufficient
A web application firewall (WAF) is designed to filter, monitor, and block HTTP traffic to and from a web application. Some businesses believe that a WAF is sufficient because it serves as a frontline defense, identifying and blocking many known attack patterns and mitigating immediate threats to web applications. WAFs are relatively straightforward to deploy and manage, providing a quick way to enhance security without the need for extensive infrastructure changes.
While Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) demonstrably mitigate well-defined threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks (XSS), their efficacy diminishes in the face of increasingly sophisticated, multi-vector assaults that characterize the contemporary threat landscape. This limitation necessitates the integration of more advanced security measures found in WAAP solutions to ensure complete protection. Additionally, the rise of encrypted traffic has provided a veil for malicious activities, enabling attackers to bypass some of the traditional detection mechanisms that WAFs rely on.
In addition, over 80% of internet traffic today comprises machine-to-machine API calls. Traditional WAF doesn’t protect API calls; a more comprehensive solution is required. Enter WAAP.
What Is WAAP
WAAP (web application and API protection) is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect web applications and APIs from various threats, including attacks like DDoS, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting. WAAP aligns with OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) guidelines to ensure robust defense against the most critical web application and API security risks.
Let’s discover how a modern WAAP is built and how Gcore WAAP works within each component.
Web Application Firewall
We mentioned above that a WAF alone isn’t sufficient, but it nevertheless remains a cornerstone of a modern WAAP solution. Constant upgrades to WAFs are required to strengthen their resilience, due to the changing nature of cyberthreats. Accordingly, a WAF’s power comes from its capacity to change and adapt using AI, not only from its present capabilities.
Gcore’s WAF is built on a sophisticated foundation:
- Updateable regular expressions and signature engine to ensure continuous updates to the threat detection capabilities, adapting to new vulnerabilities and attack vectors.
- Heuristics and behavioral analytics to anticipate and respond to emerging threats intelligently.
- Coverage of OWASP Top 10 and beyond to extend protection against the most critical web application security risks identified by OWASP, as well as other emerging threats.
- Comprehensive, configurable policies since built-in, up-to-date policies can be customized to meet the unique needs of different applications.
- Advanced rules engine featuring custom rules and device-level fingerprinting for precise threat detection and mitigation.
Bot Protection
Not every bot is malicious. Although there are helpful bots, such as search engine crawlers, there are also harmful bots that may cause serious problems. These malicious actors, such as content scrapers and credential stuffers, pose a serious threat. Bot protection mechanisms must be able to tell the difference between legitimate and malicious bots, permitting useful bots to keep running while blocking harmful ones.
To address the challenges posed by malicious bots, Gcore uses:
- Behavioral analytics: Detailed analysis of behavior patterns allows us to identify and block advanced evasive bots.
- JS challenges and session cookies: These distinguish between legitimate users and bots masquerading as humans.
- Captcha farm and proxy network identification: These tools recognize and mitigate automated traffic originating from captcha farms and proxy networks.
Layer 7 DDoS Mitigation
A barrage of requests sent in an effort to bring down a website is known as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Layer 7 DDoS assaults specifically target the application layer.
DDoS mitigation is an effective defense mechanism that uses various strategies to prevent these attacks. Rate-limiting mechanisms carefully examine each incoming request to determine its validity and volume. Traffic analysis looks for unusual patterns or spikes that may signal an assault. By carefully implementing these procedures, DDoS mitigation prevents harmful traffic from reaching the server and safeguards it from potential attacks.
Gcore’s approach to DDoS mitigation includes:
- Burst identification mechanisms to switch quickly to DDoS mitigation mode when an attack is detected.
- Multi-layer approach to ensure comprehensive protection by covering both regular and API traffic, maintaining service availability even while an attack is occurring.
API Security
Application programming interfaces (APIs), which link different programs and allow data to be transferred, are the backbone of online interactions. However, bad actors may manipulate or monitor these interfaces, resulting in data breaches, unauthorized access, and the potential for significant disruptions to business operations.
API security procedures ensure that every communication is reviewed to check its validity and prevent illegal access. Communications are further protected by encryption, which makes them unreadable to anybody who may intercept them. With these safeguards in place and continual traffic monitoring, API security keeps data exchanges honest by letting only approved messages through.
Gcore’s API security features include the following:
- OWASP API top 10 coverage: API security covers you against the OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities and beyond. This protects against the most critical API-specific risks.
- Machine learning-based IP filtering and profiling: This feature turns on automatically in DDoS scenarios to weed out dubious API traffic by profiling and fine-tuning API security using advanced AI techniques.
How Does Gcore WAAP Work?
All components of Gcore’s solution are intricately and dynamically woven together. Gcore WAAP integrates rules-based and machine learning (ML) behavioral protection. This synergy ensures a robust defense against threats to your applications.
Gcore WAAP solution uses a four-stage process:
- Real-time traffic scanning: Analyzes incoming traffic continuously to detect potential threats
- Traffic verification: Checks traffic against predefined rules to assess its legitimacy
- Validity scoring: Evaluates the legitimacy of requests using predetermined criteria and assigns scores accordingly
- Request blocking: Denies access to any request that surpasses the designated score threshold
Gcore WAAP Features
With Gcore WAAP, your applications are secured with robust, proven protection, featuring:
- Advanced architecture: Two-tier, whole-brain design with edge nodes for fast threat detection and a central intelligence center for strategic management, delivering real-time protection and centralized control.
- Industry recognition: Recognized by Gartner as a leading solution, providing confidence in its effectiveness.
- Deployment flexibility: Infrastructure-agnostic, seamlessly integrating with any CDN, including multi-CDN, on-premise, public cloud, or VPC environments.
- Effortless security: High customizability and automation for efficient operation, with behavioral analysis for automated threat response and reduced false positives.
- API-first approach: Smooth integration with existing security ecosystems and automation tools.
Gcore WAAP Benefits
Gcore WAAP enhances your security posture with precision threat detection, adaptive policies, and real-time security insights, ensuring robust protection for your web applications with the following technical benefits:
- Zero-day support: Protects against unknown vulnerabilities using advanced threat analysis techniques like behavioral analysis and machine learning.
- Virtual patching: Addresses vulnerabilities without code changes by acting as a virtual shield and filtering malicious traffic.
- Precise threat detection: Accurately identifies and stops real attacks with minimal false positives.
- Always-current defenses: Automatic updates and expert-crafted policies keep you protected from evolving threats.
- Real-time insights: Instant visibility into traffic and potential threats for proactive security measures.
- Fast deployment: Built-in policies ensure quick setup and minimize downtime.
- Granular control: Tailor defenses to your specific needs for a perfect security fit.
- 24/7 support: Around-the-clock assistance with security concerns, reviews, and performance tuning.
- Data sovereignty: European data centers simplify compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS.
Conclusion: Protect Your Applications with Gcore WAAP Today
Businesses today need robust, layered protection for their applications. Traditional WAFs are often insufficient against sophisticated threats, necessitating comprehensive WAAP solutions that integrate WAF capabilities with advanced bot protection, L7 DDoS mitigation, and API security. This holistic approach ensures that web applications and APIs are safeguarded against a wide range of evolving cyber threats, providing essential security for businesses of all sizes.
Gcore WAAP offers proven application protection in one robust package. Secure your web applications and APIs against the most sophisticated cyber threats to safeguard your business’ reputation. Contact us today and see how Gcore WAAP can protect your applications and data.
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Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent, larger in scale, and more sophisticated in execution. For businesses across industries, this means protecting digital resources is more important than ever. Staying ahead of attackers requires not only robust defense solutions but also a clear understanding of how attack patterns are changing.The latest edition of the Gcore Radar report, covering the first half of 2025, highlights important shifts in attack volumes, industry targets, and attacker strategies. Together, these findings show how the DDoS landscape is evolving, and why adaptive defense has never been more important.Here are three key insights from the report, which you can download in full here.#1. DDoS attack volumes continue to riseIn Q1–Q2 2025, the total number of DDoS attacks grew by 21% compared to H2 2024 and 41% year-on-year.The largest single attack peaked at 2.2 Tbps, surpassing the previous record of 2 Tbps in late 2024.The growth is driven by several factors, including the increasing availability of DDoS-for-hire services, the rise of insecure IoT devices feeding into botnets, and heightened geopolitical and economic tensions worldwide. Together, these factors make attacks not only more common but also harder to mitigate.#2. Technology overtakes gaming as the top targetThe distribution of attacks by industry has shifted significantly. Technology now represents 30% of all attacks, overtaking gaming, which dropped from 34% in H2 2024 to 19% in H1 2025. Financial services remain a prime target, accounting for 21% of attacks.This trend reflects attackers’ growing focus on industries with broader downstream impact. Hosting providers, SaaS platforms, and payment systems are attractive targets because a single disruption can affect entire ecosystems of dependent businesses.#3. Attacks are getting smarter and more complexAttackers are increasingly blending high-volume assaults with application-layer exploits aimed at web apps and APIs. These multi-layered tactics target customer-facing systems such as inventory platforms, payment flows, and authentication processes.At the same time, attack durations are shifting. While maximum duration has shortened from five hours to three, mid-range attacks lasting 10–30 minutes have nearly quadrupled. This suggests attackers are testing new strategies designed to bypass automated defenses and maximize disruption.How Gcore helps businesses stay protectedAs attack methods evolve, businesses need equally advanced protection. Gcore DDoS Protection offers over 200 Tbps filtering capacity across 210+ points of presence worldwide, neutralizing threats in real time. Integrated Web Application and API Protection (WAAP) extends defense beyond network perimeters, protecting against sophisticated application-layer and business-logic attacks. To explore the report’s full findings, download the complete Gcore Radar report here.Download Gcore Radar Q1-Q2 2025
No capacity = no defense: rethinking DDoS resilience at scale
DDoS attacks are growing so massive they are overwhelming the very infrastructure designed to stop them. Earlier this year, a peak attack exceeding 7 Tbps was recorded, while 1–2 Tbps attacks have become everyday occurrences. Such volumes were unimaginable just a few years ago.Yet many businesses still depend on mitigation systems that were not designed to scale alongside this rapid attack growth. While these systems may have smart detection, that advantage is moot if physical infrastructure cannot handle the load. Today, raw capacity is non-negotiable — intelligent filtering alone isn’t enough; you need vast, globally distributed throughput.Lukasz Karwacki, Gcore’s Security Solution Architect specializing in DDoS, explains why modern DDoS protection requires immense capacity, global distribution, and resilient routing. Scroll down to watch him describe why a globally distributed defense model is now the minimum standard for mitigating devastating DDoS attacks.DDoS is a capacity war, not just a traffic spikeThe central challenge in DDoS mitigation today is the total attack volume versus total available throughput.Attacks do not originate from a single location. Global botnets harness compromised devices across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. When all this traffic converges on a single data center, it creates a structural mismatch: a single site’s limited capacity pitted against the full bandwidth of the internet.Anycast is non-negotiable for global capacityTo counter today’s attack volumes, mitigation capacity must be distributed globally, and that’s where Anycast routing plays a critical role.Anycast routes incoming traffic to the nearest available scrubbing center. If one region is overwhelmed or offline, traffic is automatically redirected elsewhere. This eliminates single points of failure and enables the absorption of massive attacks without compromising service availability.By contrast, static mitigation pipelines create bottlenecks: all traffic funnels through a single point, making it easy for attackers to overwhelm that location. Centralized mitigation means centralized failure. The more distributed your infrastructure, the harder it is to take down — that’s resilient network design.Why always-on cloud defense outperforms on-demand protectionSome DDoS defenses activate only when an attack is detected. These on-demand models may save costs but introduce a brief delay while traffic is rerouted and protections come online.Even a few seconds of delay can allow a high-speed attack to inflict damage.Gcore’s cloud-native DDoS protection is always-on, continuously monitoring, filtering, and balancing traffic across all scrubbing centers. This means no activation lag and no dependency on manual triggers.Capacity is the new baseline for protectionModern DDoS attacks focus less on sophistication and more on sheer scale. Attackers simply overwhelm infrastructure by flooding it with more traffic than it can handle.True DDoS protection begins with capacity planning — not just signatures or rulesets. You need sufficient bandwidth, processing power, and geographic distribution to absorb attacks before they reach your core systems.At Gcore, we’ve built a globally distributed DDoS mitigation network with over 200 Tbps capacity, 40+ protected data centers, and thousands of peering partners. Using Anycast routing and always-on defense, our infrastructure withstands attacks that other systems simply can’t.Many customers turn to Gcore for DDoS protection after other providers fail to keep up with attack capacity.Find out why Fawkes Games turned to Gcore for DDoS protection
Protecting networks at scale with AI security strategies
Network cyberattacks are no longer isolated incidents. They are a constant, relentless assault on network infrastructure, probing for vulnerabilities in routing, session handling, and authentication flows. With AI at their disposal, threat actors can move faster than ever, shifting tactics mid-attack to bypass static defenses.Legacy systems, designed for simpler threats, cannot keep pace. Modern network security demands a new approach, combining real-time visibility, automated response, AI-driven adaptation, and decentralized protection to secure critical infrastructure without sacrificing speed or availability.At Gcore, we believe security must move as fast as your network does. So, in this article, we explore how L3/L4 network security is evolving to meet new network security challenges and how AI strengthens defenses against today’s most advanced threats.Smarter threat detection across complex network layersModern threats blend into legitimate traffic, using encrypted command-and-control, slow drip API abuse, and DNS tunneling to evade detection. Attackers increasingly embed credential stuffing into regular login activity. Without deep flow analysis, these attempts bypass simple rate limits and avoid triggering alerts until major breaches occur.Effective network defense today means inspection at Layer 3 and Layer 4, looking at:Traffic flow metadata (NetFlow, sFlow)SSL/TLS handshake anomaliesDNS request irregularitiesUnexpected session persistence behaviorsGcore Edge Security applies real-time traffic inspection across multiple layers, correlating flows and behaviors across routers, load balancers, proxies, and cloud edges. Even slight anomalies in NetFlow exports or unexpected east-west traffic inside a VPC can trigger early threat alerts.By combining packet metadata analysis, flow telemetry, and historical modeling, Gcore helps organizations detect stealth attacks long before traditional security controls react.Automated response to contain threats at network speedDetection is only half the battle. Once an anomaly is identified, defenders must act within seconds to prevent damage.Real-world example: DNS amplification attackIf a volumetric DNS amplification attack begins saturating a branch office's upstream link, automated systems can:Apply ACL-based rate limits at the nearest edge routerFilter malicious traffic upstream before WAN degradationAlert teams for manual inspection if thresholds escalateSimilarly, if lateral movement is detected inside a cloud deployment, dynamic firewall policies can isolate affected subnets before attackers pivot deeper.Gcore’s network automation frameworks integrate real-time AI decision-making with response workflows, enabling selective throttling, forced reauthentication, or local isolation—without disrupting legitimate users. Automation means threats are contained quickly, minimizing impact without crippling operations.Hardening DDoS mitigation against evolving attack patternsDDoS attacks have moved beyond basic volumetric floods. Today, attackers combine multiple tactics in coordinated strikes. Common attack vectors in modern DDoS include the following:UDP floods targeting bandwidth exhaustionSSL handshake floods overwhelming load balancersHTTP floods simulating legitimate browser sessionsAdaptive multi-vector shifts changing methods mid-attackReal-world case study: ISP under hybrid DDoS attackIn recent years, ISPs and large enterprises have faced hybrid DDoS attacks blending hundreds of gigabits per second of L3/4 UDP flood traffic with targeted SSL handshake floods. Attackers shift vectors dynamically to bypass static defenses and overwhelm infrastructure at multiple layers simultaneously. Static defenses fail in such cases because attackers change vectors every few minutes.Building resilient networks through self-healing capabilitiesEven the best defenses can be breached. 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Introducing Gcore for Startups: created for builders, by builders
Building a startup is tough. Every decision about your infrastructure can make or break your speed to market and burn rate. Your time, team, and budget are stretched thin. That’s why you need a partner that helps you scale without compromise.At Gcore, we get it. We’ve been there ourselves, and we’ve helped thousands of engineering teams scale global applications under pressure.That’s why we created the Gcore Startups Program: to give early-stage founders the infrastructure, support, and pricing they actually need to launch and grow.At Gcore, we launched the Startups Program because we’ve been in their shoes. We know what it means to build under pressure, with limited resources, and big ambitions. We wanted to offer early-stage founders more than just short-term credits and fine print; our goal is to give them robust, long-term infrastructure they can rely on.Dmitry Maslennikov, Head of Gcore for StartupsWhat you get when you joinThe program is open to startups across industries, whether you’re building in fintech, AI, gaming, media, or something entirely new.Here’s what founders receive:Startup-friendly pricing on Gcore’s cloud and edge servicesCloud credits to help you get started without riskWhite-labeled dashboards to track usage across your team or customersPersonalized onboarding and migration supportGo-to-market resources to accelerate your launchYou also get direct access to all Gcore products, including Everywhere Inference, GPU Cloud, Managed Kubernetes, Object Storage, CDN, and security services. They’re available globally via our single, intuitive Gcore Customer Portal, and ready for your production workloads.When startups join the program, they get access to powerful cloud and edge infrastructure at startup-friendly pricing, personal migration support, white-labeled dashboards for tracking usage, and go-to-market resources. Everything we provide is tailored to the specific startup’s unique needs and designed to help them scale faster and smarter.Dmitry MaslennikovWhy startups are choosing GcoreWe understand that performance and flexibility are key for startups. From high-throughput AI inference to real-time media delivery, our infrastructure was designed to support demanding, distributed applications at scale.But what sets us apart is how we work with founders. We don’t force startups into rigid plans or abstract SLAs. We build with you 24/7, because we know your hustle isn’t a 9–5.One recent success story: an AI startup that migrated from a major hyperscaler told us they cut their inference costs by over 40%…and got actual human support for the first time. What truly sets us apart is our flexibility: we’re not a faceless hyperscaler. We tailor offers, support, and infrastructure to each startup’s stage and needs.Dmitry MaslennikovWe’re excited to support startups working on AI, machine learning, video, gaming, and real-time apps. Gcore for Startups is delivering serious value to founders in industries where performance, cost efficiency, and responsiveness make or break product experience.Ready to scale smarter?Apply today and get hands-on support from engineers who’ve been in your shoes. If you’re an early-stage startup with a working product and funding (pre-seed to Series A), we’ll review your application quickly and tailor infrastructure that matches your stage, stack, and goals.To get started, head on over to our Gcore for Startups page and book a demo.Discover Gcore for Startups
Outpacing cloud‑native threats: How to secure distributed workloads at scale
The cloud never stops. Neither do the threats.Every shift toward containers, microservices, and hybrid clouds creates new opportunities for innovation…and for attackers. Legacy security, built for static systems, crumbles under the speed, scale, and complexity of modern cloud-native environments.To survive, organizations need a new approach: one that’s dynamic, AI-driven, automated, and rooted in zero trust.In this article, we break down the hidden risks of cloud-native architectures and show how intelligent, automated security can outpace threats, protect distributed workloads, and power secure growth at scale.The challenges of cloud-native environmentsCloud-native architectures are designed for maximum flexibility and speed. Applications run in containers that can scale in seconds. Microservices split large applications into smaller, independent parts. Hybrid and multi-cloud deployments stretch workloads across public clouds, private clouds, and on-premises infrastructure.But this agility comes at a cost. It expands the attack surface dramatically, and traditional perimeter-based security can’t keep up.Containers share host resources, which means if one container is breached, attackers may gain access to others on the same system. Microservices rely heavily on APIs to communicate, and every exposed API is a potential attack vector. Hybrid cloud environments create inconsistent security controls across platforms, making gaps easier for attackers to exploit.Legacy security tools, built for unchanging, centralized environments, lack the real-time visibility, scalability, and automated response needed to secure today’s dynamic systems. Organizations must rethink cloud security from the ground up, prioritizing speed, automation, and continuous monitoring.Solution #1: AI-powered threat detection forsmarter defensesModern threats evolve faster than any manual security process can track. Rule-based defenses simply can’t adapt fast enough.The solution? AI-driven threat detection.Instead of relying on static rules, AI models monitor massive volumes of data in real time, spotting subtle anomalies that signal an attack before real damage is done. For example, an AI-based platform can detect an unauthorized process in a container trying to access confidential data, flag it as suspicious, and isolate the threat within milliseconds before attackers can move laterally or exfiltrate information.This proactive approach learns, adapts, and neutralizes new attack vectors before they become widespread. By continuously monitoring system behavior and automatically responding to abnormal activity, AI closes the gap between detection and action, critical in cloud-native, regulated environments where even milliseconds matter.Solution #2: Zero trust as the new security baseline“Trust but verify” no longer cuts it. In a cloud-native world, the new rule is “trust nothing, verify everything”.Zero-trust security assumes that threats exist both inside and outside the network perimeter. Every request—whether from a user, device, or application—must be authenticated, authorized, and validated.In distributed architectures, zero trust isolates workloads, meaning even if attackers breach one component, they can’t easily pivot across systems. Strict identity and access management controls limit the blast radius, minimizing potential damage.Combined with AI-driven monitoring, zero trust provides deep, continuous verification, blocking insider threats, compromised credentials, and advanced persistent threats before they escalate.Solution #3: Automated security policies for scalingprotectionManual security management is impossible in dynamic environments where thousands of containers and microservices are spun up and down in real time.Automation is the way forward. AI-powered security policies can continuously analyze system behavior, detect deviations, and adjust defenses automatically, without human intervention.This eliminates the lag between detection and response, shrinks the attack window, and drastically reduces the risk of human error. It also ensures consistent security enforcement across all environments: public cloud, private cloud, and on-premises.For example, if a system detects an unusual spike in API calls, an automated security policy can immediately apply rate limiting or restrict access, shutting down the threat without impacting overall performance.Automation doesn’t just respond faster. It maintains resilience and operational continuity even in the face of complex, distributed threats.Unifying security across cloud environmentsSecuring distributed workloads isn’t just about having smarter tools, it’s about making them work together. Different cloud platforms, technologies, and management protocols create fragmentation, opening cracks that attackers can exploit. Security gaps between systems are as dangerous as the threats themselves.Modern cloud-native security demands a unified approach. Organizations need centralized platforms that pull real-time data from every endpoint, regardless of platform or location, and present it through a single management dashboard. This gives IT and security teams full, end-to-end visibility over threats, system health, and compliance posture. It also allows security policies to be deployed, updated, and enforced consistently across every environment, without relying on multiple, siloed tools.Unification strengthens security, simplifies operations, and dramatically reduces overhead, critical for scaling securely at cloud-native speeds. That’s why at Gcore, our integrated suite of products includes security for cloud, network, and AI workloads, all managed in a single, intuitive interface.Why choose Gcore for cloud-native security?Securing cloud-native workloads requires more than legacy firewalls and patchwork solutions. It demands dynamic, intelligent protection that moves as fast as your business does.Gcore Edge Security delivers robust, AI-driven security built for the cloud-native era. By combining real-time AI threat detection, zero-trust enforcement, automated responses, and compliance-first design, Gcore security solutions protect distributed applications without slowing down development cycles.Discover why WAAP is essential for cloud security in 2025
How to comply with NIS2: practical tips and key requirements
The European Union is boosting cybersecurity legislation with the introduction of the NIS2 Directive. The new rules represent a significant expansion in how organizations across the continent approach digital security. NIS2 establishes specific and clear expectations that impact not just technology departments but also legal teams and top decision-makers. It refines old protocols while introducing additional obligations that companies must meet to operate within the EU.In this article, we explain the role and scope of the NIS2 Directive, break down its key security requirements, analyze the anticipated business impact, and provide a checklist of actions that businesses can take to remain in compliance with continually evolving regulatory demands.Who needs to comply with NIS2?The NIS2 Directive applies to essential and important organizations operating within the European Union in sectors deemed critical to society and the economy. NIS2 also applies to non-EU companies offering services within the EU, requiring non-EU companies that offer covered services in the EU without a local establishment to appoint a representative in one of the member states where they operate.In general, organizations with 50 or more employees and an annual turnover above €10M fall under NIS2. Smaller entities can also be included if they provide key services, including energy, transport, banking, healthcare, water supply, digital infrastructure, and public administration.4 key security requirements of NIS2Under the NIS2 Directive, organizations are required to have an integrated approach to cybersecurity. There are 10 basic measures that companies subject to this legislation must follow: risk policies, incident handling, supply-chain security, MFA, cryptography, backups, BCP/DRP, vulnerability management, security awareness, crypto-control, and “informational hygiene”. In this article, we will cover the four most important of them.These four are necessary steps for limiting disruptions and achieving full compliance with stringent regulatory demands. They include incident response, risk management, corporate accountability, and reporting obligations.#1 Incident responseUnder NIS2, a solid incident response is required. Companies must document processes for the detection, analysis, and management of cyber incidents. Additionally, organizations must have a trained team ready to respond quickly when there's a breach, reducing damage and downtime. Having the right plan in place can make the difference between a minor issue and a major disruption.#2 Risk managementContinuous risk evaluation is paramount within NIS2. Businesses should constantly be scouting out internal vulnerabilities and external dangers while following a clear, defined risk management protocol. Regular audits and monitoring help businesses stay a step ahead of future threats.#3 Corporate accountabilityNIS2 emphasizes corporate accountability by requiring clear cybersecurity responsibilities across all management levels, placing direct oversight on executive leadership. Additionally, due to the dependency of most organizations on third-party suppliers, supply chain security is paramount. Executives need to check the security measures of their partners. One weak link in the chain can destroy the entire system, making stringent security measures a prerequisite for all partners to reduce risks.#4 Reporting obligationsTransparency lies at the heart of NIS2. Serious incidents need to be reported promptly to maintain the culture of accountability the directive encourages. Good reporting mechanisms ensure that vital information is delivered to the concerned authorities in a timely manner, akin to formal channels in data protection legislation such as the GDPR.What NIS2 means for applicable organizationsSome of the potential implications of NIS2 include an increased regulatory burden, financial and reputational risks, and operational challenges. These apply to all businesses that are already established in the European Union. With compliance now becoming mandatory in all member states, businesses that have lagged behind in implementing effective cybersecurity measures will be put under increased pressure to improve their processes and systems.Increased regulatory burdenFor most firms, the new directive means a huge increase in their regulatory burden. The broadened scope of the directive applies to more industries, and this may lead to additional administrative tasks. Legal personnel and compliance officers will need to sift through current cybersecurity policies and ensure all parts of the organization are in line with the new requirements. This exercise can entail considerable coordination between different departments, including IT, risk management, and supply chain management.Financial and reputational risksThe penalty for non-compliance is steep. The fines for failure to comply with the NIS2 Directive are comparable to the GDPR fines for non-compliance, up to €10 million or 2% of a company's worldwide annual turnover for critical entities, while important organizations face a fine of up to €7M or 1.4% of their global annual turnover. Financial fines and reputational damage are significant risks that organizations must take into account. A single cybersecurity incident can lead to costly investigations, legal battles, and a loss of trust among customers and partners. For companies that depend on digital infrastructure for their day-to-day operations, the cost of non-compliance can be crippling.Operational challengesNIS2 compliance requires more than administrative change. Firms may have to make investments into new technology when trying to meet the directive's requirements, such as expanded monitoring, expanded protection of data, and sophisticated incident response protocols. Legacy system firms can be put at a disadvantage with the need for rapid cybersecurity improvements.NIS2 compliance checklistDue to the comprehensive nature of the NIS2 Directive, organizations will need to adopt a systematic compliance strategy. Here are 5 practical steps organizations can take to comply:Start with a thorough audit. Organizations must review their current cybersecurity infrastructure and identify areas of vulnerability. This kind of audit helps reveal areas of weakness and makes it easier to decide where to invest funds in new tools and training employees.Develop a realistic incident response plan. It is essential to have a short, actionable plan in place when things inevitably go wrong. Organizations need to develop step-by-step procedures for handling breaches and rehearse them through regular training exercises. The plan needs to be constantly updated as new lessons are learned and industry practices evolve.Sustain continued risk management. Risk management is not a static activity. Organizations need to keep their systems safe at all times and update risk analyses from time to time to combat new issues. This allows for timely adjustments to their approach.Check supply chain security. Organizations need to find out how secure their third-party vendors are. They need to have clear-cut security standards and check periodically to help ensure that all members of the supply chain adhere to those standards.Establish clear reporting channels. Organizations must have easy ways of communicating with regulators. They must establish proper reporting schedules and maintain good records. Training reporting groups to report issues early can avoid delays and penalties.Partner with Gcore for NIS2 successGcore’s integrated platform helps organizations address key security concerns relevant to NIS2 and reduce cybersecurity risk:WAAP: Real-time bot mitigation, API protection, and DDoS defense support incident response and ongoing threat monitoring.Edge Cloud: Hosted in ISO 27001 and PCI DSS-compliant EU data centers, offering scalable, resilient infrastructure that aligns with NIS2’s focus on operational resilience and data protection.CDN: Provides fast, secure content delivery while improving redundancy and reducing exposure to availability-related disruptions.Integrated ecosystem: Offers unified visibility across services to strengthen risk management and simplify compliance.Our infrastructure emphasizes data and infrastructure sovereignty, critical for EU-based companies subject to local and cross-border data regulation. With fully-owned data centers across Europe and no reliance on third-party hyperscalers, Gcore enables businesses to maintain full control over where and how their data is processed.Explore our secure infrastructure overview to learn how Gcore’s ecosystem can support your NIS2 compliance journey with continuous monitoring and threat mitigation.Please note that while Gcore’s services support many of the directive’s core pillars, they do not in themselves guarantee full compliance.Ready to get compliant?NIS2 compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We offer tailored solutions to help businesses strengthen their security posture, align with key requirements, and prepare for audits.Interested in expert guidance? Get in touch for a free consultation on compliance planning and implementation. We’ll help you build a roadmap based on your current security posture, business needs, and regulatory deadlines.Get a free NIS2 consultation
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