Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenSSL VS AWS Shield

Compare OpenSSL VS AWS Shield and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

OpenSSL logo OpenSSL

OpenSSL is a free and open source software cryptography library that implements both the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols, which are primarily used to provide secure communications between web browsers and …

AWS Shield logo AWS Shield

AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards web applications running on AWS. 
  • OpenSSL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14
  • AWS Shield Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-21

OpenSSL features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenSSL is open-source software, which means it is freely available and can be reviewed, modified, and improved by anyone.
  • Widely Used
    OpenSSL is one of the most widely used libraries for SSL and TLS protocols, ensuring high compatibility and support across different platforms and applications.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    OpenSSL provides extensive documentation and resources that can help users understand and implement its features effectively.
  • Regular Updates
    The OpenSSL project is actively maintained, receiving regular updates and patches to address security vulnerabilities and improve functionality.
  • Community Support
    A large community of developers and users contribute to forums, mailing lists, and other discussion platforms, providing support and sharing knowledge.
  • Flexible and Powerful
    OpenSSL offers a wide range of cryptographic functions and protocols, making it a versatile tool for various security requirements.

Possible disadvantages of OpenSSL

  • Complexity
    OpenSSL can be complex to configure and use, particularly for beginners or those without a deep understanding of cryptographic principles.
  • Security Vulnerabilities
    Despite regular updates, OpenSSL has had several high-profile security vulnerabilities in the past, such as Heartbleed, which can have broad implications.
  • Performance Overhead
    Depending on the implementation and configuration, using OpenSSL can introduce performance overhead, impacting the speed and efficiency of applications.
  • Limited User-Friendly Tools
    While OpenSSL is powerful, it lacks user-friendly tools and interfaces, making it harder for less technical users to operate.
  • Documentation Quality
    Though comprehensive, some users find the OpenSSL documentation to be dense and difficult to navigate, which can make troubleshooting and implementation challenging.

AWS Shield features and specs

  • Comprehensive Protection
    AWS Shield provides strong protection against DDoS attacks, including Layer 3/4 infrastructure attacks and Layer 7 application attacks, ensuring reliable service availability.
  • Fully Managed
    AWS Shield is a fully managed service, meaning that it requires minimal effort to deploy and maintain, allowing businesses to focus on their core operations.
  • Global Coverage
    AWS Shield provides protection across all AWS regions, ensuring consistent security for applications deployed across different geographic areas.
  • Cost Efficiency
    With AWS Shield Standard, businesses receive basic DDoS protection at no additional cost, which can be particularly advantageous for smaller enterprises or startups.
  • Advanced Protection Plans
    For businesses needing enhanced protection, AWS Shield Advanced offers additional features such as 24/7 support from the DDoS Response Team and financial protections under specific conditions.

Possible disadvantages of AWS Shield

  • Cost for Advanced Features
    While AWS Shield Standard is free, AWS Shield Advanced incurs additional costs, which might be significant for smaller organizations or those with limited budgets.
  • AWS Ecosystem Dependency
    AWS Shield is designed to work within the AWS ecosystem, which may not be suitable for businesses using a multi-cloud strategy or relying heavily on on-premises infrastructure.
  • Complex Configuration for Advanced Settings
    Configuring advanced protection features might require specialized knowledge and understanding of AWS security best practices, potentially increasing administrative overhead.
  • Potential Overhead
    There might be additional overhead in terms of managing AWS Shield alongside other security measures, particularly for organizations with complex environments.
  • Limited to DDoS
    AWS Shield is specialized in DDoS protection. Organizations requiring a full spectrum of threat mitigation will need to integrate it with other security services.

OpenSSL videos

Das Kommando "enc" in OpenSSL

More videos:

  • Review - OpenSSL and FIPS... They Are Back Together!
  • Review - OpenSSL After Heartbleed by Rich Salz & Tim Hudson, OpenSSL

AWS Shield videos

AWS Shield Overview

More videos:

  • Review - DNS DDoS mitigation using Amazon Route 53 and AWS Shield - February 2017 AWS Online Tech Talks

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenSSL and AWS Shield)
Development Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Web Application Security
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
CDN
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using OpenSSL and AWS Shield. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, AWS Shield should be more popular than OpenSSL. It has been mentiond 13 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenSSL mentions (2)

  • Why does Baserow need my personal data so I can run open source?
    Baserow uses open source like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSSL and can use it without handing over data to openssl.org. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Creating private key help
    Noob here; I'm looking at openssl.org Two commands are listed; "openssl-genrsa" and "openssl genrsa" (No hyphen). Source: over 3 years ago

AWS Shield mentions (13)

  • Understanding AWS Regions and Availability Zones: A Guide for Beginners
    AWS CloudFront is the star of the show here. It caches static content (like media, scripts, and images) to ensure fast, reliable delivery. Other AWS services that run at the edge include Route 53 for DNS routing, Shield and WAF for security, and even Lambda via Lambda@Edge — giving you the ability to run serverless logic closer to the user. - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • AWS Serverless Security: Preventing HTTP Flood DDoS Attack
    In the diagram below, we can see where the AWS WAF sits in our serverless architecture. Basically, it’s our shield in front of all requests coming into our system. But, don’t confuse this service with AWS Shield (lol, AWS has everything). - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Protect nginx ingress with AWS WAF and AWS Shield
    AWS Shield is primarily used to protect from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. It automatically detects threats to the environment. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Ask HN: Reasonably priced EU hosting with DDoS filtering?
    OVH offers more than a firewall. They provide all of their OVHCloud custoemrs with anti-DDoS services that will block most attacks automatically at no additonal charge. https://us.ovhcloud.com/security/anti-ddos/ AWS offers their Shield product, although your requirement of "reasonably priced" may exclude AWS in general https://aws.amazon.com/shield/ . Cloudflare Spectrum can protect TCP/UDP services including... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Enigma cold war IP global banning people trying to join their server when full.
    You just dont hear bout much these days as a consumer since most games go FULL GREED (aka Live Service) and do not let you host your own server. Big companies use AWS etc and have ways to deal with this sort of thing. Source: about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenSSL and AWS Shield, you can also consider the following products

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

CloudFlare DDoS Protection - Mitigate a DDoS attack of any size using Cloudflare's advanced DDoS protection including DNS Amplification, SYN/ACK, Layer 7 Attacks. Don't get ddos attacked!

React Native - A framework for building native apps with React

Imperva Cloud Application Security - Deploy your applications and data where you want. When you want. Imperva keeps them secure in the cloud, on premises, and in hybrid clouds.

Babel - Babel is a compiler for writing next generation JavaScript.

VeriSign - VeriSign Authentication Services provides solutions that allow companies & consumers to engage...