Beyond VPNs: How Cloud-Native Security Protects Businesses from DDoS and Identity Threats

For years, companies have relied on VPNs and proxies as their primary defense for securing networks and controlling access. While these tools still play a crucial role, they are no longer sufficient to stop modern cyber threats, such as large-scale DDoS attacks or sophisticated credential theft.

As organizations move workloads into the cloud, IP security and authentication strategies must evolve. Today, cloud-native solutions like AWS from providers enable businesses to scale securely, mitigate attacks automatically, and adopt passwordless authentication models such as WebAuthn.

This article explores why companies need to go beyond VPNs, what cloud-based tools can do for IP security, and how modern identity platforms are shaping the future of secure access.

The Old Security Paradigm: VPNs and Proxies

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and proxies became popular because they provided:

• Encrypted tunnels for remote employees.
• Hidden IP addresses to reduce tracking or geo-limit bypassing.
• Centralized control over internal traffic.

However, as cyberattacks grew more advanced, cracks in this model appeared:

• VPNs do not protect against DDoS; they simply shift the traffic bottleneck.
• Proxies can mask identity, but they don’t verify it—leaving authentication weak.
• Both introduce latency and scalability issues when hundreds or thousands of users connect.

In short, VPNs and proxies solve part of the problem, but not the whole picture.

The Cloud Era: Securing IPs at Scale

When companies move to AWS, Azure, or GCP, they gain not only computing power but also network-level defenses that go far beyond a VPN.

1. IP Address Management

Cloud platforms let organizations control IPs with precision:

• Create isolated Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) with custom CIDR ranges.
• Use elastic IPs and load balancers to scale traffic safely.
• Implement geo-based IP blocking to reduce attack surfaces.

2. DDoS Mitigation with AWS Shield

Instead of relying on static infrastructure, AWS Shield and AWS WAF provide:

• Automatic traffic inspection to detect volumetric attacks.
• Rate-limiting rules to throttle abusive requests.
• Integration with CloudFront to absorb attacks globally.

Case in point: A SaaS startup running in the EU cut downtime from 6 hours to almost zero by enabling AWS Shield Advanced. No VPN could have stopped that scale of attack.

3. Zero Trust Networking

Cloud encourages moving away from “one big VPN tunnel” to Zero Trust security:

• Every user/device must prove identity continuously.
• PrivateLink or VPC Peering replace legacy VPN connections.
• Access is granted by least privilege rather than network location.

This fundamentally changes how companies think about IP and identity.

The Rise of Modern Authentication: WebAuthn and Keycloak

Even if the IP layer is secure, attackers still target weak authentication. Phishing, password reuse, and credential stuffing remain the number one cause of breaches.

That’s why the industry is embracing WebAuthn (FIDO2) and identity platforms like Keycloak:

• Passwordless login using device keys or biometrics.
• Phishing-resistant authentication since there’s no password to steal.
• Seamless integration with modern applications through SAML, OpenID Connect, and OAuth2.

Why Keycloak Stands Out

Keycloak is an open-source Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution trusted by enterprises worldwide. Unlike closed-source identity providers, Keycloak gives organizations:

• Full control of authentication flows, user federation, and role-based access.
• Native support for Single Sign-On (SSO) across multiple applications.
• Built-in WebAuthn support, making passwordless authentication easier to roll out.
• Scalability to support everything from a small team to millions of users.

Some cloud consulting companies, such as Perfsys, specialize in deploying Keycloak for startups and SMBs. Their experience shows how Keycloak can be adapted to industries like fintech and healthcare, where both compliance and strong authentication are critical. Several case studies highlight these practical applications.

Practical Recommendations for Businesses

1. Keep VPNs but Don’t Rely on Them Alone

VPNs are still useful for remote access and compliance. But they should be just one layer in a broader defense strategy.

2. Adopt Cloud-Native DDoS Protection

Services like AWS Shield, Azure DDoS Protection, or Cloudflare are purpose-built to absorb traffic spikes that overwhelm VPN gateways.

3. Move Toward Zero Trust

Replace broad VPN access with per-app authentication, role-based policies, and identity-aware proxies.

4. Implement Keycloak with WebAuthn

Deploying Keycloak as the central IAM lets organizations unify user authentication, support federated identity (Google, Azure AD, etc.), and adopt passwordless login with minimal friction.

5. Monitor IP Reputation

Use tools to track whether your IPs are blacklisted, especially if you send email campaigns or run public APIs.

Case Example: From VPN Reliance to Keycloak + AWS Security

A mid-sized European fintech company relied on a traditional VPN for remote employees. During a DDoS attack, the VPN server became the single point of failure, cutting off access for all staff.

By migrating workloads to AWS and enabling Shield + WAF, the company:

• Distributed traffic through multiple CloudFront edge locations.
• Blocked suspicious IP ranges automatically.
• Reduced downtime costs by 80%.

At the same time, the organization adopted Keycloak with WebAuthn to replace outdated username and password logins. This not only improved user experience but also eliminated credential-based phishing attempts.

Featured Image by Freepik.