To handle significant traffic spikes and potentially malicious IPs, you can use Google Cloud Armor to

configure rate-based bans. This approach allows you to automatically ban clients that exceed a

predefined request rate, protecting your application from potential denial-of-service attacks.

Access Google Cloud Console: Log in to your Google Cloud Console.

Navigate to Google Cloud Armor: Go to the "Security" section and select "Google Cloud Armor".

Create Security Policy: Create a new security policy or edit an existing one. Add a new rule to the

policy.

Configure Rate-Based Ban: Set the action to rate_based_ban. Define the rate limit (e.g., requests per

second) and set the ban_duration_sec parameter to the desired time interval.

Apply the Policy: Apply the security policy to your backend service or load balancer.

Monitor and Adjust: Monitor the traffic patterns and adjust the rate limits and ban durations as

necessary to balance security and availability.

Reference::

Google Cloud Armor Documentation

Rate Limiting with Cloud Armor