WAF stands for Web Application Firewall. It’s a layer of protection against data breaches.
Think of it this way: You have your home alarm, which is the first line of defense against burglars. But what if someone manages to get past it?
What if they climb over your fence or break a window and sneak inside without your home alarm detecting them?
That’s where your Web Application Firewall comes in.
The WAF acts as a second layer of protection against data breaches by scanning traffic on your network and preventing attacks before they happen.
It’s like having an extra security guard at your house—and every time he sees something suspicious, he’ll sound an alarm, so you can take action immediately.
What is a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?
First, let’s dive into the question, “What is WAF“? A WAF is a tool designed to protect web applications from malicious attacks.
It’s placed between the browser and the web server, and it monitors traffic going in and out of your servers.
At its core, a WAF is an application firewall – similar to the software you use on your computer or network to block potential threats.
How Does a WAF Work?
In simple terms, a WAF works by looking for malicious activity in the request or response packets of a web page – or web application.
The WAF then blocks the malicious traffic by looking up that domain on a list of blacklisted sites, a process called “traffic analysis.”
Once blocked, the server will send all future requests to your system through a proxy, which is another computer that acts as your WAF.
The main goal of a WAF is to prevent malicious attacks on your network by blocking potential threats before they reach your web application.
WAFs are important because they’re designed to constantly monitor and analyze the traffic going in and out of your web applications and servers.
They monitor traffic coming from anywhere on the internet—including IP addresses, URLs, ports, and protocols– which means they can spot malicious attacks even before they enter your internal network.
Why is a WAF Critical in Protecting Against Data Breaches?
A WAF is a critical layer of protection against data breaches.
It’s a master key that grants access to all communications within and out of your network.
WAFs analyze the requests and responses on all your web applications, which means they can:
- Stop attacks before they enter the network.
- Block known threats by identifying patterns in malicious data.
- Stop SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS), directory traversal, injection flaws, and more.
These features make WAFs a powerful tool for protecting your company against data breaches.
However, they’re not perfect.
Although it’s nearly impossible to stop all attacks, you can significantly reduce the risk of a data breach by using a WAF to monitor and analyze all web traffic through your systems and networks.
How is a WAF Deployed?
The proper deployment of WAFs varies depending on the type of application being protected.
Most smaller application providers will deploy and install WAFs on a per-site basis.
This means each website or web application will have its own dedicated WAF installed and configured on its own server.
If you have an ISP or network provider, you’ll likely have access to a free or paid managed firewall or intrusion detection system (IDS) that can be used to monitor and filter traffic for malicious activity.
Large organizations will likely protect their web applications by deploying a single WAF on the network and filtering all traffic through the WAF.
This makes it easier to maintain your system and allows you to track down any malicious activity in real-time.
What Should You Look For in a Web Application Firewall?
There are three main features you should look for when choosing a WAF:
- Open source or proprietary? Open-source solutions are free, but they might not be as easy to use or up-to-date as proprietary solutions. Proprietary solutions are more expensive, but they’re easy to use and fully customizable.
- How is the WAF managed? Is it managed on-site or by your provider? Can you manage it via an API or control panel? How much technical knowledge do you have to have in order to deploy and manage a WAF?
- Does it support all web applications? Not all WAFs support Java, C #, ASP.NET, and other languages. Make sure the WAF you choose supports the most common web languages.
FAQs
1. How much does it cost to implement a WAF?
There are many inexpensive options that allow you to protect your website and cut costs.
There are also more expensive options, with prices starting at $1,500 per month and going up from there depending on the services you need.
2. What is the difference between a WAF and an IPS?
Both work to stop common attacks on your web applications.
However, a WAF will block attacks before they enter the network, whereas an IPS will block attacks after they enter the network.
3. What is the difference between a WAF and an NGFW?
Both work to stop common attacks on your web applications.
However, a WAF will block attacks before they enter the network, whereas an NGFW will block attacks after they enter the network.
Deploy Your WAF to Protect Your Cybersecurity
Much like a breach and attack simulation, a WAF is a critical layer of protection against data breaches.
To keep your company safe, it should be placed in-between your firewall and web server.
For most small to medium-sized companies, this will mean deploying a WAF on each of your main web servers or on your firewall.
If you’re a large organization, the best option is to deploy one WAF on the network and filter all traffic through it.
This makes it easier to maintain your system and allows you to track down any malicious activity in real-time.
