Project Shield

What Project Shield is

Project Shield is a free service for protecting eligible websites from distributed denial-of-service attacks that could take them offline. It covers layer 3/4 and layer 7 attacks, with protection configured automatically for each site. Customizable caching can save bandwidth and support defenses; site operators can invalidate the cache when publishing updated content. Other controls include reCAPTCHA, IP allow and deny lists, and defenses against common exploits. Metrics cover site traffic, error rates, and bandwidth savings. Created by Google Cloud and Jigsaw, Project Shield is powered by Google Cloud Armor. Eligible organizations include news and independent journalists, human rights and political organizations, election information and monitoring groups, rights organizations for marginalized groups, and nonprofit arts and science organizations. Government entities may qualify under exigent circumstances; the FAQ excludes other content types, including gaming sites and businesses. Setup involves adding a domain, reviewing proposed hostnames and the origin server, then changing DNS A records to route traffic through Project Shield. A CNAME may be needed for certificates. The FAQ says approved applicants receive setup information by email and that a webmaster with DNS administrative access should be able to configure the service in approximately 10 minutes.

Who it suits

It suits eligible news, human rights, election, political, marginalized-group rights, and nonprofit arts or science organizations seeking website DDoS protection. Government entities may qualify under exigent circumstances.

Limits

The free plan provides unlimited DDoS protection, but only to eligible organizations. The service does not provide coverage to other types of content, including gaming sites and businesses.

Getting started

1. Apply for Project Shield and await approval; setup information is sent to approved applicants by email.
2. Have a webmaster with administrative privileges who can modify DNS records configure the service.
3. Add the website domain and review the proposed hostnames and origin server.
4. Change DNS A records to route traffic through Project Shield; add a CNAME if needed for certificates.

Verdict

Project Shield offers free, automatically configured DDoS protection, with caching and site metrics for eligible organizations. Its organization eligibility rules and DNS setup are key considerations.