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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

Company DisclosureVerified

Build Transformative Security with AI-Powered WAF Detections

Akamai Blog·Mar 2026

https://www.akamai.com/blog/security/build-transformative-security-ai-powered-waf-detections

Company DisclosureVerified

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for a Superior Web Application Firewall

Akamai Blog·Feb 2025

https://www.akamai.com/blog/security/harnessing-artificial-intelligence-for-superior-web-application-firewall

Company DisclosureVerified

Akamai Adds Behavioral DDoS Engine to App & API Protector

Akamai Technologies Investor Relations·Oct 2024

https://www.ir.akamai.com/news-releases/news-release-details/akamai-adds-behavioral-ddos-engine-app-api-protector

News Article

Akamai introduces Behavioral DDoS Engine and AI Assistant to strengthen security portfolio

SiliconANGLE·Oct 2024

https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/16/akamai-introduces-behavioral-ddos-engine-ai-assistance-strengthen-security-portfolio/

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 September 7, 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

How to cite AI Trace

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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