A web application firewall, or WAF, is an additional layer of security used for proactively monitoring, filtering, and blocking incoming and outgoing data packets from a website. WAFs may be host-based, network-based, or cloud-based. They are commonly used with reverse proxies and deployed along with websites hosted on cloud cPanel hosting, adding an extra layer of security against harmful traffic.
WAFs may be installed as network security tools, server-based plugins, or cloud-hosted services. They analyze data packets and review application layer logic based on predefined rules to avoid suspicious or harmful traffic. Businesses using the best cheap cloud server can remarkably enhance their security levels using a next-generation web application firewall.
Why Is WAF Security Important?
WAFs are vital for an increasing number of organizations providing online offerings —encompassing mobile app developers, digital marketers, and financial planners. A WAF can assist you in safeguarding confidential data like clients’ personal details and credit card information to avoid data breaches.
A WAF can assist you in complying with the requirements of regulations like PCI DSS, which must be complied with by any organization that deals with shoppers’ data and mandates the deployment of a firewall. A WAF is therefore a critical part of an organization’s security model.
Organizations typically keep most of their sensitive information in a backend database that can be fetched using online applications; hence, it is necessary to have a WAF, but you should use it along with other security tools, like, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and conventional firewalls, to ensure multi-layered defence.
Types of Web Application Firewalls
There are three main methods for the deployment of a WAF:
1. Network-based WAF
Network-based WAF is a firewall tailored to reduce latency. It is the most costliest kind of WAF and requires the periodic maintenance of hardware.
2. Host-based WAF
This firewall can be completely configured into the application software. This solution is economical compared to network-based WAFs and is highly optimizable. However, it uses greater amounts of local server resources, is difficult to install, and may be costly to manage. The server machine utilized to execute a host-based WAF must be configured, which can be time-consuming and expensive.
3. Cloud-based WAF
An inexpensive, seamlessly deployable solution, that does not need to be paid for in advance, with customers paying a short-term or long-term subscription for security-as-a-service. Nonetheless, since your WAF is managed externally, it is crucial to assure that cloud-based WAFs support customization features.
WAF: Functionalities and Strengths
Web application firewalls generally come with the following benefits and functionalities:
1. Attack Signature Databases
Attack signatures are modules that can notify about suspicious traffic, such as request types, unusual server responses, and harmful IP addresses. WAFs depended largely on attack pattern databases that were not as impactful against new or conventional threats.
2. AI-driven Traffic Pattern Analysis
Artificial intelligence programs allow for behavioural investigation of traffic patterns, utilizing behavioural standards for different kinds of traffic to identify anomalies that signify an attack. This enables you to identify attacks that don’t align with known harmful patterns.
3. Application Profiling
Application Profiling means examining the app’s architecture, its requests, and URLs. It enables the WAF to detect and filter out unwanted requests.
4. Customization
Operators have the liberty to craft custom security rules that govern how application traffic is handled. This enables businesses to tailor WAF behaviour as per their requirements and avoid blocking genuine traffic.
5. DDoS protection platforms
You can add a cloud platform that safeguards your website against DDoS attacks. In case the WAF notices a DDoS attack, it can redirect the traffic to the DDoS scanning platform, which can smartly process a high amount of attacks.
6. Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)
WAFs are installed on the network side, so a cloud-hosted WAF can offer a CDN to store the website and enhance its loading speed. The WAF installs the CDN on multiple points of presence (PoPs) that are deployed across the world, so users get served from the nearest PoP.
WAF Technology
A WAF is crafted with server-side plugins, deployed as hardware provided to scan incoming traffic. WAFs secure online applications from compromised endpoints and act as reverse proxies, which safeguard users against harmful websites. Suspicious traffic can be investigated through various methods, including biometric scanners, CAPTCHA puzzles, and much more; if it seems illicit, it can be blocked immediately.
WAF Security Models
WAFs can employ a positive or negative security model or both.
1. Positive Security Model
The positive WAF security model uses a whitelist that monitors traffic based on a list of allowed elements and actions—any element outside the list is prohibited. The strength of this model is that it can restrict the latest or unforeseen attacks the developer hadn’t planned for.
2. Negative Security Model
This model contains a blacklist that prevents only particular elements—anything not included on the list is permitted. While it is simpler to deploy but can’t ensure all threats are covered. The degree of security level depends on the amount of restrictions applied.
WAF with MilesWeb
MilesWeb offers a next-generation Web Application Firewall that stops attacks with proactive web traffic analysis of your applications. Apart from WAF, MilesWeb offers extensive security solutions for websites and applications.
- Attack Analytics
MilesWeb provides end-to-end visibility with domain knowledge through the application security stack to recognize application attacks, allowing you to mitigate and block online attacks.
- API Security
It ensures your APIs are safeguarded from the moment they’re deployed, securing your apps from being targeted.
- Advanced Bot Protection
Secures business attacks across various gateways–websites, mobile apps, and APIs. They allow effortless command over bot traffic to prevent online fraud by account hacking.
Conclusion
Businesses are progressively switching to mobile apps and smartphone devices to streamline online transactions, with the majority of transactions taking place at the application layer. Cybercriminals typically target online applications to access this information.
By considering the anatomy of online attacks and utilizing MilesWeb’s security solutions, organizations can greatly strengthen their security stance, reduce risk, and stay ahead of upcoming threats. As a proactive measure, implementing WAF is not simply a security need —it’s a strategic move to protect your organization’s online assets in this competitive environment.
