What it means
Content delivery networks, edge locations, global load balancers, and edge compute can improve latency and availability while changing where data and security decisions occur.
Why it matters
Edge services can become part of the public attack surface and may cache, transform, or route sensitive traffic outside the core workload region.
Practical focus
- Define cache, encryption, and origin-access policies
- Protect administrative and purge functions
- Monitor edge logs and certificate changes
Common mistakes
- Leaving origins publicly reachable after adding a CDN
- Caching sensitive responses
- Assuming provider edge protection covers application authorization
Certification relevance
This subject appears in or supports the following certification bodies of knowledge: