Adjusting DDoS protection based on traffic type

A system, method and computer readable storage medium that receives traffic/packets from external devices attempting to access protected devices in a protected network. A determination is made to whether a received packet belongs to one of a plurality of packet classifications. Each packet classification indicative of different classes of IP traffic. Countermeasures are applied to a received packet to prevent attack upon the protected devices. Applying a countermeasure to a received packet determined to belong to one of the plurality of packet classifications includes countermeasure modification/selection contingent upon the determined packet classification for the received packet.