What is a WAF? | Web Application Firewall Explained

This post is all about Web Application Firewall an ideal solution to your one of the worst nightmare—web application attack. It not only impacts critical and sensitive data, but also affect adversely on their reputation, money, and brand. Being a blogger, I love to interact with people and deep dive into their problems to understand their pain areas. For you, it might be a story or another marketing piece, but it is true. Here is a quick overview for you based on my recent personal experience

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What’s Web application Firewall(WAF)?

Web Application Firewall is a one-stop solution to secure your critical data. What WAF exactly does is

• inspects all incoming requests
• blocks malicious traffic
• protects your servers from hackers

As a result, only filtered traffic reaches the server and attacks gets prevented.

What are the Advantages of a Web Application Firewall?1. Data Protection from Common Attack

IDS, IPS, and standard firewall certainly protect your web applications, but these options don’t prevent all attacks. SQL Injection—one of the most common web application attacks can only be prevented using a web application firewall.

Apart from this, WAF also prevents from

• cross-site request forgery (CSRF),
• cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks,
• code injection into a web application,
• other attacks in which end-users forcefully take actions like funds transferring.

WAF also ensures protection against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. In this attack, a site gets flooded with traffic generated from thousands of IP addresses. This traffic made it impossible for the server to respond.

2. Effective and Affordable Cyber Security

Unlike other cybersecurity solutions, WAF doesn’t require a great deal of attention, resources, or time. Despite the fact, it offers high-level of security like other solutions. So, even if you are not able to invest in a comprehensive security team, you can keep a WAF in a background. This will help you prevent malicious traffic and will alert the same to security incidents.

3. Build Customer Trust

Data Confidentiality plays a vital role in the business and success of an organization. It helps you build repo, integrity, and brand image. If you lack in security and privacy, you will end-up losing clients both new and existing.

So, customer trust is vital to for sustainability of an organization. This is where WAF and cybersecurity best practices come into the picture. It is just like a scorecard for customers to ensure their data is in safe hands.

Now, that you know

• what WAF is;
• why is it an essential ingredient of your cybersecurity strategy;

Let’s have a glance at its best practices. These practices will help you make most out of your WAF by managing it effectively.

What are Best WAF Practices?1. Data Logging

One of the best practices while using a WAF is to log your data into the WAF environment. Make sure to have a log of WAF activity, system activity, and security events. Mask less essential details such as user credit card number, or password. This organization will complete your two actions.

1. Help you organize important information
2. Help you identify the reason behind system errors.

2. Adjust Blocking and Monitoring Options as Per Your Company’s Requirement

Use WAF settings to adjust traffic. This will help you:

• Assess your company’s risk tolerance;
• Determine the best blocking and monitoring settings before WAF deployment.

Also, analyze whether it is worthy of blocking legitimate traffic to minimize risk or not.

3. Regularly Monitor Web Traffic

Routinely check web traffic using traffic information provided in company sources and WAF. This gives you a clear cut picture of incoming traffic from your company. Also, confirm when it is coming, when there is a variation, and when there is a vulnerability.

Concluding Thoughts

Now that you know that a WAF is an essential security strategy component. It protects your enterprise against common attacks. Plus, gives credibility and trustworthiness to stand a league ahead your humble competitors. So, it’s time to bolster your organization cybersecurity.

Take a step forward to cybersecurity. Deploy a web application firewall and implement industry best practices.

HaltDos is an IT Security company that primarily deals in award-winning AI-based Web Application Firewall and DDoS mitigation solutions for SME's and Large Enterprises.