SAKURA Internet Defeats DDoS Attacks Using VoltDB's High Speed, In-Memory Database

BEDFORD, Mass., July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- VoltDB today announced that SAKURA Internet is using the in-memory NewSQL database to meet the specialized fast data processing demands of the ISP's new Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) mitigation solution. SAKURA's application enables the ISP to rapidly analyze immense volumes of incoming network data in real time to identify and stop malicious traffic intended for customer sites—within seconds. Even more significantly, the solution simultaneously allows legitimate traffic to reach its intended targets, eliminating a common barrier to the success of other anti-DDoS applications.

Distributed Denial-of-Service attacks are becoming more prevalent and more destructive. Recent research shows that the average cost incurred to resolve a single attack can total more than $1 million and breed customer distrust that can lead to mass exodus. High-volume DDoS attacks can saturate the bandwidth of not only the edge link to the target server, but also the links in core networks that can cause large scale service outages for anyone connected with them.

"We are tapping VoltDB's extraordinary speed and transactional decision making capabilities to achieve a previously impossible goal," said Tamihiro Yuzawa, network engineer at SAKURA Internet. "Common industry methods for dealing with DDoS attacks, such as Remotely Triggered Blackholing, cause legitimate traffic to be discarded. VoltDB enables us to identify the intended DDoS target and immediately block malicious traffic while maintaining maximum uptime for our customers. Our two-step process brings situational awareness to a whole new level; we've gained full visibility into torrents of network traffic data, and can now detect and address anomalous behavior with precision. We couldn't do this without VoltDB."

The proof is in the numbers. In the month of June, SAKURA's DDoS solution enabled the ISP to detect and mitigate 52 DDoS attacks. Forty-one of those attacks necessitated an attempt to restore service, which the solution achieved within minutes or even seconds in 36 of the 41 attempts. This 88% success rate translates to millions of dollars saved.

The solution uses VoltDB's unmatched speed to ingest massive IP traffic flow data streams and perform in-memory analytics to identify attacks on the network. It samples IP packets in real time, allowing SAKURA to immediately see which sites are under attack, and perform source-and-destination-based filtering, allowing clean incoming packets to move through to their destination while blocking the bad.

SAKURA employs a two-step process in which the solution first detects and identifies the intended target, instantaneously blocking all traffic at the border between SAKURA and the external network. This prevents a massive outage that would affect a large number of customers, and minimizes the impact to a single node. The ISP has been utilizing this part of the process at a high rate of success since August of 2013, often mitigating more than 45 attacks per month. The second step, which began in April, quickly restores communication between the attack target and the rest of the internet by distinguishing the legitimate traffic from the junk, and only trashing the latter.

"SAKURA's security application is a prime example of why it's so crucial for organizations to use the right database tool for the right job. DDoS attacks are a Fast Data problem and you need screaming fast processing speed coupled with real-time, transactional decision making to defeat them," said Bruce Reading, VoltDB CEO. "VoltDB was purpose-built to support these types of next generation, smart applications."

About SAKURA Internet

SAKURA Internet Inc. is engaged in the provision of Internet services. The Company operates its business mainly through the operation of its data centers, and the building of Internet backbones. The Company is engaged in the provision of housing services through data centers, exclusive server services and rental server services, utilizing virtual technology. In addition, the Company is also engaged in the provision of new services such as SAKURA's Virtual Private Server (VPS) services and others.

About VoltDB

VoltDB is an in-memory NewSQL database purpose-built to power a new generation of applications that thrive on fast, smart data. Tapping the lightning speed and real-time analytics of VoltDB, organizations are able to add context and intelligence to data - the instant it arrives - to make real-time transactional decisions that will maximize its business value. The relational database is architected to meet the distinct requirements of Fast Data which leads to Big Data. Organizations in markets such as mobile, financial services, energy, advertising, security and gaming are relying on VoltDB to process smart data fast to capture new revenue opportunities, drive competitive advantage and create highly specialized interactions. VoltDB is privately held with offices in Bedford, Mass. and Santa Clara, Calif.

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SOURCE VoltDB