{{multiple issues| {{Primary sources|date=May 2020}} {{Unreliable sources|date=May 2020}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Use American English|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Prolexic Technologies, now part of Akamai | logo = 200px|Prolexic logo | type = Subsidiary | foundation = 2003 | location_city = Hollywood, Florida | location_country = USA | area_served = Worldwide | industry = Information technology and services | homepage = {{URL|http://www.prolexic.com/}} | parent = Akamai Technologies }}

'''Prolexic Technologies''' was a US-based provider of security solutions for protecting websites, data centers, and enterprise IP applications from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks at the network, transport, and application layers. It operated a DDoS mitigation platform and a global network of traffic scrubbing centers. Real-time monitoring and mitigation services were provided by a 24/7 security operations control center (SOCC). Prolexic indicated its DDoS mitigation services make websites, data centers and enterprise IP applications harder to take down via DDoS attacks.<ref name="ars_sony">{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/source-anonymous-attacks-on-sony-annoying-not-much-more.ars |title=Source: Anonymous attacks on Sony annoying, not much more |publisher=Ars Technica |date=April 9, 2011}}</ref>

In February 2014, cybersecurity and cloud services company Akamai Technologies acquired Prolexic Technologies.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lennon |first=Mike |date=2013-12-02 |title=Akamai to Buy DDoS Protection firm Prolexic for $370 Million |url=https://www.securityweek.com/akamai-buy-ddos-protection-firm-prolexic-370-million/ |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=SecurityWeek |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History == In 2003 Prolexic Technologies was founded by Barrett Lyon and was the subject of the book ''Fatal System Error'' by Joseph Menn. Prolexic protects organizations in the following markets: airlines/hospitality, e-commerce, energy, financial services, gambling, gaming, public sector, and software as a service. Sony is said to be a customer of the company.<ref name="ars_sony"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cio.com/article/685186/LulzSec_s_Parting_Trojan_is_a_False_Positive |title=LulzSec's Parting Trojan is a False Positive |publisher=CIO Magazine |date=June 28, 2011}}</ref> Prolexic claims some of the largest banks as its clients.

In 2005, the company was named one of the 100 Hottest Private Companies in North America by ''Red Herring''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefoundry.com/pdf/RedHerring.pdf |title=Top 100 Private Companies in North America |publisher=RedHerring (Print issue) |date=May 23, 2005}}</ref>

Prolexic was acquired by Internet content delivery network Akamai Technologies in a $370 million deal completed in February 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.akamai.com/html/about/press/releases/2014/press_0218.html |title=February 18, 2014 - Akamai Completes Acquisition of Prolexic |website=www.akamai.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228013949/http://www.akamai.com/html/about/press/releases/2014/press_0218.html |archive-date=2014-02-28}} </ref> In 2023, Akamai launched the sixth-generation Prolexic DDoS platform, a fully software-defined, scalable infrastructure that doubled its dedicated attack mitigation capacity to 20 Tbps.

== Financial history ==

In 2011, Prolexic completed two financing rounds led by Kennet Partners totaling $15.9 million.<ref name="bizj-camden" />

In 2012 Baltimore private equity firm Camden Partners invested $6 million in the company, and American Trading and Production Corp invested $2 million as part of an $8 million Series B funding round.<ref name="bizj-camden">{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2012/02/08/camden-partners-leads-8m-funding.html |title=Camden Partners leads $8M funding round of Prolexic Technologies |publisher=Baltimore Business Journal |date=February 8, 2012}}</ref> In the deal, Jason Tagler of Camden Partners joined the board of directors of Prolexic. Prolexic said it would use the Series B money to support staff and augment its network.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jason Tagler's Growth Equity Investments - Camden Partners |url=https://jasontagler.com/investing/ |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=Jason Tagler |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2013, Prolexic closed a US$30 million Series C funding round led by new investors Trident Capital and Intel Capital. Kennet Partners, Camden Partners and Medina Capital all took part in the funding round.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2013/07/26/the-daily-startup-fashion-wholesale-site-joor-to-expand/ |title=Venture Capital Dispatch: The Daily Startup |publisher=Wall Street Journal |date=July 26, 2013}}</ref>

== DDoS mitigation == In 2012, hacktivism and vandalism were cited as the main inspiration for DDoS attacks, rather than extortion as in the past. This type of motivation is said to make any company a victim, not just high-profile organizations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.darkreading.com/security-services/167801101/security/news/232600439/m-225-s-ddos-more-powerful-complex-and-widespread.html |title=Más DDoS: More Powerful, Complex, And Widespread |publisher=Dark Reading |date=Feb 7, 2012}}</ref> Organizations of all sizes are said to be at risk of DDoS attacks, because the newer application-level attacks are more targeted than classic DDoS botnet attacks and don’t need as many resources to deploy.<ref name="cio_hoffman_dec2011">{{cite web |url=http://blogs.cio.com/security/16685/new-denial-service-attacks-now-targeting-all-size-businesses |title=New Denial of Service Attacks Now Targeting All Size Businesses |publisher=CIO: IT Security Hack |date=December 8, 2011 |access-date=March 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514155115/http://blogs.cio.com/security/16685/new-denial-service-attacks-now-targeting-all-size-businesses |archive-date=May 14, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The cloud-based DDoS mitigation approach used by Prolexic employs technology to redirect traffic to the company’s DDoS mitigation service, scrub the traffic, and send only legitimate traffic to the client site. This attack mitigation approach is said to be lower-cost than the traditional approach of a company maintaining its own network firewall, making DDoS attack prevention an option for most firms doing business on the web.<ref name="cio_hoffman_dec2011"/>

== See also == * Denial-of-service attack * Barrett Lyon * ''Fatal System Error''

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.akamai.com/ Official '''Akamai Technologies''' website] * [https://www.akamai.com/uk/en/about/news/press/2014-press/akamai-completes-acquisition-of-prolexic.jsp Akamai Acquisition of Prolexic Announcement]

Category:Security companies of the United States Category:Computer security companies Category:Software companies based in Florida Category:Companies based in Broward County, Florida Category:Hollywood, Florida Category:Computer companies established in 2003 Category:2003 establishments in Florida Category:DDoS mitigation companies Category:2014 mergers and acquisitions Category:Defunct software companies of the United States