WAF, IPS, and NGFW

WAF / Variable Solution / June 21, 2024

Overview of WAF

A WAF or web application firewall helps protect web applications by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet. It typically protects web applications from attacks such as cross-site forgery, cross-site-scripting (XSS), file inclusion, and SQL injection, among others. A WAF is a protocol layer 7 defense (in the OSI model) and is not designed to defend against all types of attacks. This method of attack mitigation is usually part of a suite of tools that together create a holistic defense against a range of attack vectors.

Apart from the theoretical definition, we also should have knowledge about the placement of WAF and how it works in the production environment. The WAF is deployed in front of a web application and it acts as a barrier between a web application and the Internet. A WAF is a type of reverse proxy that protects the server from exposure by having clients pass through the WAF before reaching the server.

Difference between a web application firewall (WAF), an intrusion prevention system (IPS), and a next-generation firewall (NGFW)

There are several reasons that contribute to the misconception regarding NGFWs and WAFs. As both systems are referred to as firewalls, some individuals may mistake them for one another. The phrases are sometimes used interchangeably because NGFWs are advancements of traditional network firewalls. While both systems are designed to detect and prevent malicious intrusions, they each provide a different level of protection.

The challenge of manageability arises when several technologies are combined. Even if they aren’t security professionals, everybody serving the application including developers will be interested in a WAF. Meanwhile, IT is more concerned with the network firewall.

Building and fine-tuning efficient WAF policies necessitate a deep understanding of the application. And the person who created the code is generally a useful resource for figuring out how to safeguard it. They are in the best position to create a WAF strategy that tackles the application’s vulnerabilities because they are familiar with its strengths and shortcomings. Because a WAF is still infrastructure, it’s usually deployed by IT security; nonetheless, it’s an excellent tool to incorporate in a DevSecOps program, where security is thoroughly integrated into the development process.

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