Which Azure component is designed to detect and mitigate DDoS attacks?

Azure DDoS Protection is specifically designed to provide detection and mitigation strategies against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. This service actively monitors traffic patterns and applies various thresholds to detect anomalies that signify potential DDoS attacks. When a DDoS attack is identified, Azure DDoS Protection automatically responds to help ensure the availability of applications, employing techniques such as rate limiting, IP blacklisting, and adaptive tuning based on the type of attack being faced.

This service integrates seamlessly with Azure resources, using machine learning and analytics to adaptively understand and manage normal traffic patterns for your specific applications. In doing so, it provides a layer of protection that is crucial for maintaining the performance and reliability of services hosted on Azure during such attacks.

While other options like the Azure Web Application Firewall provide security against common web vulnerabilities and can help mitigate certain types of attacks, they are not tailored specifically for DDoS protection. Azure Traffic Manager assists in routing traffic effectively but doesn't offer DDoS mitigation features. Azure VPN Gateway is focused on providing secure point-to-site and site-to-site VPN connections, with no direct capability for detecting or mitigating DDoS attacks.