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How does the blacklist and whitelist mechanism in API abnormal traffic control work?

The blacklist and whitelist mechanism in API abnormal traffic control is a security strategy used to filter and manage incoming requests. It works by explicitly allowing or blocking traffic based on predefined rules for IP addresses, user IDs, or other identifiers.

  • Whitelist: Only requests from pre-approved sources (e.g., specific IPs or users) are allowed. All others are automatically blocked. This is useful for restricting access to trusted clients.
    Example: A financial API allows only internal systems' IPs to call sensitive endpoints, ensuring no external traffic can access it.

  • Blacklist: Requests from known malicious or suspicious sources are blocked, while others are permitted. This helps mitigate threats like DDoS attacks or abuse.
    Example: If an IP is detected sending excessive requests, it can be added to the blacklist to prevent further abuse.

In cloud environments, Tencent Cloud's API Gateway provides built-in traffic control features, including IP-based access management, rate limiting, and throttling, to implement whitelist/blacklist policies effectively.