In today’s digital landscape, cyberattacks are a persistent threat to organizations of all sizes. Businesses need robust, scalable and easy-to-implement solutions to safeguard their networks without breaking the bank. That’s where Lumen on-demand network services come in, offering powerful, built-in, cost-effective security solutions designed to provide peace of mind knowing your network is protected.
Building security into your connectivity
On-demand, built-in security begins with a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)-enabled port, which enables multiple logical services over a single physical port—on-premises and in data centers—and provides fast and efficient connectivity.
From there, customers implement Lumen® Internet on Demand (IoD) for adjustable, pay-as-you-use internet that provides high-speed, low-latency connections and reliable network performance.
Once connected through Lumen IoD, customers have two integrated security options: including Lumen® DDoS Essentials and Lumen DefenderSM Powered by Black Lotus Labs® Working alongside your existing firewall, these solutions create a comprehensive, multi‑layered security posture to help strengthen your defenses, enhance performance and help your network stay resilient against evolving cyberthreats.
What is Lumen DDoS Essentials?
DDoS Essentials is an advanced security solution powered by near real-time threat intelligence from Black Lotus Labs, the in-house threat intelligence team of Lumen. It’s engineered to deliver automatic detection and mitigation of common volumetric DDoS attacks, helping organizations maintain uptime and business continuity even in the face of evolving threats. The best part? It’s simple to implement and available as an add-on for Internet On-Demand customers.
With DDoS Essentials, you can benefit from:
- Proactive DDoS attack protection: Leverage the latest threat intelligence to identify and neutralize attacks before they impact your business. This approach helps your network remain secure and operational.
- Simplified deployment: It’s designed for ease of use, with a streamlined implementation process that allows you to activate protection in minutes. No complex configurations or additional hardware are required.
- Cost-effective security: With flexible pricing, DDoS Essentials delivers multi-layered protection at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions. It’s an accessible way to enhance your security posture without significant investment.
- Seamless integration: If you already use Internet On-Demand, it’s easy to add DDoS Essentials to your service—and if you’re a new customer, you can simply opt in or out during setup. The entire process is managed through the intuitive Lumen Connect portal, making network security just a click away.
- Real-time reporting and insights: Take advantage of robust reporting tools that provide detailed, visualized insights into your network performance and past mitigations. This transparency empowers you to stay informed about potential threats and make data-driven decisions to strengthen your defenses.
Beyond mitigating high‑volume DDoS events, you may also need protection from targeted, persistent threats. Lumen Defender addresses this broader risk.
What is Lumen Defender powered by Black Lotus Labs®?
As cyberthreats grow more sophisticated, you need smart, proactive defenses. Lumen Defender provides multi-layered security at the network edge. Designed to provide an additional layer of proactive protection, it works alongside DDoS mitigation and customer firewalls to create a comprehensive security posture.
Lumen Defender provides key benefits such as:
- Proactive threat blocking: Powered by Black Lotus Labs threat intelligence, Lumen Defender leverages real-time threat data from the Lumen global internet backbone to identify and automatically block traffic from known internet-based threats before they reach your internal network. This helps reduce risk exposure and business disruption while maintaining regulatory compliance.
- Zero-touch, automated deployment: Lumen Defender integrates seamlessly with Internet On-Demand—no additional hardware or manual setup required—instantly activating protection.
- Hands-free network protection: Once enabled, Lumen Defender delivers robust edge defenses without manual intervention.
- Customizable threat handling: Lumen Defender offers a customer portal with options to view threats targeting your network, customize blocking by severity or IP address, perform detailed IP lookups and create custom allow/deny/monitor lists.
- Comprehensive threat visibility and reporting: Built-in dashboards enable active threat monitoring, advanced reporting, automatic alerts (email/text based on severity changes) and logs of blocked and unblocked events.
Individually, Lumen DDoS Essentials and Lumen Defender add significant layers of protection. But their real impact comes from how they work together to form the foundation of a holistic security strategy that adapts as threats evolve.
Bringing it all together with on-demand networking
Through the integrated, on-demand security offerings available through our on-demand network services portfolio, your business gains enhanced visibility into the types of threats targeting your networks so you can tailor your defenses in real time. This proactive, intelligence-driven approach helps ensure that only legitimate traffic reaches your business, keeping your operations secure and resilient.
Lumen security leaders recently discussed the benefits of on‑demand, built‑in security in the webinar Defend & Connect: Protecting Your On‑Demand Network with Lumen, offering deeper insights into how these capabilities work in real environments.
Want to see our on-demand network security services in action? Watch the full webinar for a live demonstration, real-world use cases and expert Q&A.
Lumen Defender is available in most Internet On-Demand service areas, dependent on access to a NaaS-enabled port which is subject to eligibility requirements. It may not be available for all possible Internet On-Demand configurations. Lumen Defender is not available in IPv6 and dual stack configurations or configurations with bandwidths higher than 1 Gbps
This content is provided for informational purposes only and may require additional research and substantiation by the end user. In addition, the information is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied. Use of this information is at the end user’s own risk. Lumen does not warrant that the information will meet the end user’s requirements or that the implementation or usage of this information will result in the desired outcome of the end user. All third-party company and product or service names referenced in this article are for identification purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with Lumen. This document represents Lumen products and offerings as of the date of issue. Services not available everywhere. Lumen may change or cancel products and services or substitute similar products and services at its sole discretion without notice. ©2025 Lumen Technologies. All Rights Reserved.
