QikDefend Documentation

Complete guide to implementing and managing DDoS protection for your applications and infrastructure.

Introduction to QikDefend

QikDefend is a comprehensive DDoS protection platform designed to secure your web applications, APIs, and network infrastructure from distributed denial-of-service attacks. Our multi-layered protection system automatically detects and mitigates attacks in real-time, ensuring your services remain available and performant.

Key Benefits

  • Always-On Protection: Continuous monitoring and automatic mitigation
  • Global Network: Distributed scrubbing centers worldwide
  • Zero Configuration: Automatic attack detection and mitigation
  • Real-Time Analytics: Detailed insights into traffic and attacks
  • API-First Design: Programmatic control and integration

How QikDefend Works

QikDefend operates by routing your traffic through our global network of scrubbing centers. Here's the high-level process:

  1. Traffic Routing: Your traffic is routed to the nearest QikDefend scrubbing center
  2. Analysis: Our system analyzes traffic patterns in real-time
  3. Detection: Malicious traffic is identified using behavioral analysis and threat intelligence
  4. Mitigation: Attack traffic is filtered out while legitimate traffic proceeds to your origin
  5. Reporting: Detailed analytics and alerts are provided through the dashboard

Note: QikDefend requires minimal configuration. Most customers can activate protection within minutes by updating their DNS records.

Quick Start Guide

Follow these steps to get started with QikDefend protection:

Step 1: Create Your Account

Sign up for a QikDefend account and verify your email address.

Step 2: Add Your Domain

Add the domain you want to protect to your QikDefend dashboard.

Step 3: Update DNS Records

Change your domain's DNS records to point to QikDefend's nameservers or create CNAME records as instructed.

# Example CNAME record www.yourdomain.com CNAME protect.qikdefend.com

Step 4: Verify Protection

Once DNS propagation is complete, your domain will be protected. You can verify this in your QikDefend dashboard.

Important: DNS changes can take up to 24-48 hours to propagate globally, though typically it's much faster.

Account Setup

Setting up your QikDefend account is straightforward. This section covers the initial configuration and settings.

User Management

Add team members to your QikDefend account with different permission levels:

Role Permissions Use Case
Owner Full access to all features and billing Account administrator
Admin Full access to security features, limited billing access Security team lead
Analyst Read-only access to dashboards and reports Security analyst
Developer API access and integration management Development team

Security Settings

Configure your security preferences and default protection settings:

// Example security configuration via API { "web_protection": { "enabled": true, "mode": "automatic", "sensitivity": "medium" }, "network_protection": { "enabled": true, "threshold": "auto" }, "notifications": { "email": true, "webhook": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/qikdefend" } }

Billing & Plans

QikDefend offers flexible pricing plans to suit businesses of all sizes. All plans include core DDoS protection features.

Plan Comparison

Feature Starter Business Enterprise
DDoS Protection
Web Application Firewall Basic Advanced Advanced + Custom Rules
Bot Protection -
API Access Read-only Full Access Full Access + Priority
Support Email Priority 24/7 Dedicated

Billing Cycle

You can choose between monthly and annual billing. Annual billing offers a 20% discount compared to monthly billing.

Tip: You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. Prorated charges or credits will be applied accordingly.

DNS Configuration

Proper DNS configuration is essential for QikDefend to protect your domain. This section covers the different methods for routing your traffic through our protection network.

Nameserver Method

For full domain protection, update your domain's nameservers to point to QikDefend:

# QikDefend nameservers ns1.qikdefend.com ns2.qikdefend.com ns3.qikdefend.com

CNAME Method

For subdomain protection, use CNAME records:

# Protect www subdomain www.yourdomain.com CNAME protect.qikdefend.com # Protect api subdomain api.yourdomain.com CNAME protect.qikdefend.com

Note: The CNAME method is ideal for protecting specific subdomains while keeping your main DNS provider.

API Integration

QikDefend provides a comprehensive REST API for programmatic management of your protection settings.

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using your API key:

curl -X GET "https://api.qikdefend.com/v1/domains" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Common API Endpoints

Endpoint Method Description
/v1/domains GET List all protected domains
/v1/domains/{id} GET Get domain details
/v1/domains POST Add a new domain
/v1/analytics/attacks GET Get attack analytics

WordPress Plugin

For WordPress sites, we offer a dedicated plugin that simplifies integration and provides additional WordPress-specific protection features.

Installation

  1. Download the QikDefend plugin from the WordPress repository
  2. Upload and activate the plugin
  3. Navigate to QikDefend settings in your WordPress admin
  4. Enter your API key and configure protection settings

Plugin Features

  • Automatic DNS configuration
  • WordPress-specific attack detection
  • Login page protection
  • Comment spam prevention
  • Performance optimization

Cloudflare Integration

QikDefend integrates seamlessly with Cloudflare for enhanced protection and performance.

Setup Process

  1. In your Cloudflare dashboard, navigate to the DNS settings
  2. Create a CNAME record pointing to protect.qikdefend.com
  3. In QikDefend dashboard, add your domain with Cloudflare integration enabled
  4. Configure any additional security settings as needed

Important: When using Cloudflare integration, ensure that Cloudflare's proxy is disabled for the QikDefend CNAME record to avoid conflicts.

Web Application Protection

QikDefend's web application protection defends against application-layer DDoS attacks targeting your web servers and applications.

Attack Types Mitigated

  • HTTP Floods: High-volume requests designed to overwhelm web servers
  • Slowloris: Partial HTTP requests that keep connections open
  • HTTP/2 Vulnerabilities: Protocol-level attacks exploiting HTTP/2 features
  • WordPress-specific Attacks: Targeted attacks against WordPress vulnerabilities

Configuration Options

{ "web_protection": { "enabled": true, "mode": "automatic", "sensitivity": "medium", "challenge_failed_requests": true, "block_suspicious_user_agents": true } }

Network Layer Protection

Protect your network infrastructure from volumetric and protocol-based DDoS attacks.

Supported Protocols

Protocol Attack Types Mitigation
TCP SYN floods, ACK floods Protocol validation, rate limiting
UDP DNS amplification, UDP floods Packet inspection, source verification
ICMP Ping floods, Smurf attacks Rate limiting, packet filtering

Web Application Firewall

Our advanced WAF protects against common web application vulnerabilities and attacks.

OWASP Top 10 Protection

QikDefend WAF includes protection against all OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities:

  • Injection attacks (SQL, OS command)
  • Cross-site scripting (XSS)
  • Cross-site request forgery (CSRF)
  • Security misconfigurations
  • Sensitive data exposure

Custom Rules

Create custom WAF rules tailored to your application's specific needs:

# Example custom WAF rule { "name": "Block admin directory scans", "condition": "request.uri contains '/admin'", "action": "block", "enabled": true }

Bot Protection

Advanced bot detection and mitigation to protect against automated threats.

Bot Detection Methods

  • Behavioral Analysis: Analyze user behavior patterns
  • JavaScript Challenges: Challenge suspicious clients
  • Fingerprinting: Device and browser fingerprinting
  • Machine Learning: AI-powered bot classification

Rate Limiting

Protect your APIs and applications from abuse with configurable rate limits.

Configuration Examples

{ "rate_limits": [ { "path": "/api/*", "limit": 1000, "period": "hour", "action": "block" }, { "path": "/login", "limit": 5, "period": "minute", "action": "challenge" } ] }

Security Dashboard

The QikDefend security dashboard provides real-time visibility into your protection status and attack metrics.

Dashboard Overview

Key metrics displayed on the dashboard:

  • Total Protected Domains: Number of domains under protection
  • Active Attacks: Real-time attack count and severity
  • Traffic Volume: Incoming and filtered traffic metrics
  • Mitigation Success Rate: Percentage of attacks successfully blocked
  • Top Attack Sources: Geographic and IP-based attack sources

Customizable Widgets

Customize your dashboard with various widgets:

// Example dashboard configuration { "layout": "grid", "widgets": [ { "type": "traffic_chart", "position": "top-left", "refresh_interval": 30 }, { "type": "attack_map", "position": "top-right", "refresh_interval": 60 } ] }

Reports & Analytics

Generate detailed reports on security events, traffic patterns, and protection effectiveness.

Report Types

Report Type Frequency Content
Security Summary Daily/Weekly/Monthly Attack overview, top threats, mitigation stats
Traffic Analysis Weekly Traffic patterns, peak hours, geographic distribution
Compliance Report Monthly Security compliance status, audit trails

Alerts & Notifications

Configure real-time alerts for security events and system status changes.

Alert Types

  • Attack Detection: Notify when new attacks are detected
  • Traffic Spikes: Alert on unusual traffic patterns
  • System Health: Monitor protection system status
  • Custom Rules: Trigger alerts based on custom conditions

Notification Channels

{ "notifications": { "email": ["admin@company.com", "security@company.com"], "slack": "https://hooks.slack.com/services/...", "webhook": "https://your-app.com/alerts", "sms": "+1234567890" } }

Traffic Logs

Access detailed logs of all traffic processed by QikDefend for analysis and auditing.

Log Retention

Plan Retention Period Export Options
Starter 7 days CSV Export
Business 30 days CSV, JSON, SIEM Integration
Enterprise 1 year All formats + Real-time streaming

API Authentication

All QikDefend API requests require authentication using API keys.

Generating API Keys

  1. Navigate to Settings → API Keys in your dashboard
  2. Click "Generate New Key"
  3. Set appropriate permissions for the key
  4. Copy and securely store the generated key

Security Note: API keys should be treated as passwords. Never commit them to version control or share them publicly.

Using API Keys

# Include API key in Authorization header curl -X GET "https://api.qikdefend.com/v1/domains" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer qk_1234567890abcdef" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json"

API Endpoints

Complete reference of all available API endpoints.

Domains Management

Endpoint Method Description
/v1/domains GET List all domains
/v1/domains POST Add a new domain
/v1/domains/{id} GET Get domain details
/v1/domains/{id} PUT Update domain settings

Security Settings

Endpoint Method Description
/v1/domains/{id}/settings GET Get protection settings
/v1/domains/{id}/settings PUT Update protection settings
/v1/waf/rules GET List WAF rules
/v1/waf/rules POST Create WAF rule

API Rate Limits

API requests are subject to rate limiting to ensure fair usage and system stability.

Plan Requests per minute Burst limit
Starter 60 100
Business 300 500
Enterprise 1000 2000

Webhooks

Receive real-time notifications about security events via webhooks.

Webhook Events

// Example webhook payload { "event": "attack.detected", "data": { "domain": "example.com", "attack_type": "http_flood", "started_at": "2023-10-15T14:30:00Z", "severity": "high" } }

Common Issues

Solutions for frequently encountered problems when using QikDefend.

DNS Propagation Delays

Symptom: Domain shows as "Pending" or protection not active.

Solution: DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally. Use online DNS propagation checkers to verify status.

False Positives

Symptom: Legitimate traffic is being blocked.

Solution: Adjust sensitivity settings or create allow rules for specific IP ranges/user agents.

Performance Impact

Symptom: Increased latency after enabling protection.

Solution: Check if you're using the nearest scrubbing center. Contact support for routing optimization.

Performance Optimization

Tips for maximizing performance while maintaining security.

Optimal Configuration

  • Use HTTP/2 and keep-alive connections
  • Enable compression for text-based resources
  • Implement proper caching headers
  • Use CDN for static assets

Monitoring Tools

Use these tools to monitor performance:

# Check response times curl -w "@curl-format.txt" -o /dev/null -s https://yourdomain.com # Monitor real user metrics // Use browser performance APIs console.log(performance.timing);

False Positives

Managing and reducing false positive blocks.

Common Causes

  • Legitimate bots (search engines, monitoring tools)
  • Unusual but legitimate user behavior
  • Specific application functionality triggering rules
  • VPN and proxy users

Resolution Strategies

// Create allow rule for specific user agent { "name": "Allow Googlebot", "condition": "http.user_agent contains 'Googlebot'", "action": "allow", "enabled": true }

Contact Support

Get help from our technical support team.

Support Channels

Channel Response Time Best For
Email Support 4-8 hours Non-urgent issues, detailed questions
Live Chat 5-15 minutes Quick questions, configuration help
Phone Support Immediate (Enterprise) Critical issues, emergency support

Information to Provide

When contacting support, include:

  • Your domain name
  • Detailed description of the issue
  • Error messages or screenshots
  • Steps to reproduce the problem
  • Relevant timestamps