Why are some Cloudflare challenges CPU-intensive

Question

Cloudflare’s challenges sometimes put a high load on a user’s CPU, which can be frustrating. What is the purpose of these intensive challenges, and how do they enhance security?

Answer 1

​Cloudflare employs CPU-intensive challenges as a security measure to deter malicious bots and automated attacks. These challenges are designed to consume significant computational resources, making it costly for attackers to continue their activities. Legitimate users may experience brief periods of increased CPU usage during these challenges, but this is a trade-off to enhance overall security. By imposing computational costs on potentially harmful traffic, Cloudflare effectively reduces the feasibility of large-scale automated attacks, thereby protecting websites from malicious activities.