# Introducing Clerk Protect

[Clerk Protect](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/overview.md) helps stop fake accounts and account takeover attacks with protections you can configure in the Clerk Dashboard. Clerk secures more than 100,000 active applications. Protect brings what we've learned fighting fraud and abuse directly into your authentication flows.

## New protections on the Business plan

The [Business plan](https://clerk.com/pricing) now includes five advanced protections to give you more control over who can sign up:

- [**Block sign-ups from suspicious network types**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/block-suspicious-network-types.md), such as VPNs, Tor, proxies, and hosting networks.
- [**Challenge residential proxies**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/challenge-residential-proxies.md) to make automated abuse more costly while keeping sign-up smooth for legitimate users.
- [**Block sign-ups by country**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/block-sign-ups-by-country.md) using a blocklist or an allowlist.
- [**Limit sign-ups per IP address**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/limit-sign-ups-per-ip-address.md) to an hourly limit you set.
- [**Block risky email domains**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/block-risky-email-domains.md) at a protection level you choose.

## Protections for every application

Every application includes the following protections:

- [**Challenge suspicious sign-ups**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/bot-protection.md) with a CAPTCHA to help stop automated account creation.
- [**Require Device Intelligence checks**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/require-device-intelligence.md) to check for signs of automation in browser-based interactions.
- [**Lock accounts after failed sign-ins**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/user-lockout.md) to protect your users against targeted brute-force attacks.
- [**Device Trust**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/device-trust.md) requires additional verification when someone signs in from a new device, helping protect users against stolen credentials.
- [**User enumeration protection**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/user-enumeration-protection.md) helps prevent attackers from discovering which email addresses and phone numbers have accounts.
- [**Block email subaddresses**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/block-email-subaddresses.md) to reduce the number of accounts one person can create from a single inbox with variations like `user+1@example.com`.
- [**Block disposable email addresses**](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/protections/block-disposable-email-addresses.md) to stop sign-ups from throwaway inboxes.

Each protection is built and maintained by Clerk. Manage them together on the [**Protections**](https://dashboard.clerk.com/~/protect/protections) page in the Clerk Dashboard. We'll keep adding protections as we find new ways to protect your application.

## Get started

[Explore Protect in the Clerk Dashboard](https://dashboard.clerk.com/~/protect/protections) and choose the protections that fit your application. See the [getting started guide](https://clerk.com/docs/guides/protect/getting-started.md#requirements) for requirements and setup instructions.