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Reviewed and published by trentmaziarz, April 21, 2026. Discovered and drafted by our automated research pipeline.
Akamai uses machine learning in its App & API Protector product to automatically detect and block web attacks, including zero-day exploits, SQL injection, and application-layer DDoS attacks, against its enterprise customers' websites and APIs. This system has been active in various forms since at least 2021 and received major AI-powered updates in 2024 and 2026.
Details
The core technology is the Adaptive Security Engine, which uses machine learning and heuristic models to inspect web traffic in real time, self-tune detections, and reduce false positives. In October 2024, Akamai added the Behavioral DDoS Engine, which uses machine learning to set traffic baselines and detect application-layer DDoS attacks automatically. In March 2026, Akamai introduced AI-powered WAF detections that train AI models on global traffic to identify malicious patterns faster than rule-based methods alone. The system is described as processing data from billions of daily events.
Products affected
Akamai App & API ProtectorAdaptive Security EngineBehavioral DDoS Engine
Sources & Evidence
Company Disclosure
Cite this record
Trace Foundation. (2026). Akamai Technologies: Akamai uses machine learning in its App & API Protector product to automatically detect and block web attacks, including zero-day exploits, SQL injection, and application-layer DDoS attacks, against its enterprise customers' websites and APIs. This system has been active in various forms since at least 2021 and received major AI-powered updates in 2024 and 2026 (data as of 2026-04-21) [Data set record]. AI Trace. https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/a233f440-e50f-4053-adc0-6005bba4f229. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Stable link
- https://www.aitrace.org/r/practice/a233f440-e50f-4053-adc0-6005bba4f229
- Data as of
- April 21, 2026
- Last verified
- April 21, 2026
Other practices by Akamai Technologies
Data AnalysisAkamai uses machine learning models in its Akamai Hunt service to automatically detect suspicious movement of attackers through customers' internal networks, surfacing threats that evade traditional security tools. Human security experts then investigate each flagged event before alerting the customer.Data AnalysisAkamai uses AI in its Guardicore Segmentation product to automatically map how applications and devices communicate inside a customer's network, then generate ready-to-enforce security policies that limit attackers' ability to move between systems. Major AI-powered updates to this product were announced in April 2024 and March 2026.ModerationAkamai uses an AI framework in its Bot Manager product to automatically distinguish human web visitors from malicious automated bots across customer websites, apps, and APIs, assigning each request a bot-likelihood score in real time. This capability has been in production for multiple years and handles an average of 40 billion bot requests per day.
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