Introduction
SteelShield is a DDoS mitigation solution. It protects game servers from large-scale DDoS attacks.
SteelShield intercepts network traffic before it reaches your game server. It checks if packets are legitimate by examining:
- Source address
- Destination address
- Port
- Packet contents
SteelShield allows only expected traffic through to your game server.
Protection Levels
INFO
This describes the situation inside Nitrado's own infrastructure.
Level 1 - Reactive Rate Limiting
No integration needed from game developers.
Reactive rate-limiting monitors packet size and traffic rate, triggering limits on server traffic in response to unusual network activity.
Level 1 protection is always enabled for all customers at no additional charge.
Level 2 - Basic Traffic Filtering and Whitelisting
No integration needed from game developers.
Level 2 protection includes:
- Traffic restriction to specific ports
- Generic game-specific filtering to block malicious traffic
- Basic filtering to remove known bot traffic
- Traffic with corrupt or invalid payloads
- Standard TCP mitigations for SYN floods
You must purchase Level 2 protection. It is available in selected locations.
Example: Unreal Engine 5 Generic Protection is considered Level 2.
To enable Level 2 protection, see Configure protection in GameFabric.
Level 3 - Proof of Identity using Deep Packet Inspection
Integration into the game by the developer is required.
Level 3 features:
- Packet flows tracked via cryptographically signed handshake process
- Replay attacks blocked and malicious players identified
- Ability to block players from connecting to servers
- 0% false positives — only valid traffic passes through
Level 3 is the highest protection level available. It requires deeper game integration but provides advanced capabilities.
To implement Level 3 protection in an Unreal Engine game, use our Unreal Engine Plugin.
For integration into a different game engine, please contact us.