Web application firewall(WAF)is a highly specialized security tool that is created to protect websites and web applications. It goes and does much more than the traditional IPS (intrusion protection system) and IDS (intrusion detection system).
WAF is housed on the outer edge of the network on the public side of your web applications. Its job is to analyze the incoming traffic. While it allows the normal traffic, it blocks and prevents any suspicious or illegal traffic before it enters the system network. The traditional
firewalls can monitor the incoming network traffic but do not have the capability to read and understand the complex HTTP and HTTPs traffic. They can protect a network but not designed for an edge-based application.
WAF is built to protect your applications against the malevolent attacks like XSS, D-DoS, SQL injections and similar. WAF can separate fraudulent traffic from genuine visitors. The reverse proxy WAF allows an organization to have an additional layer of security with protocol termination and virus scans.
The WAF can block the traffic and on suspicion stop the visitor by putting up a CAPTCHA. the blocking and posing a test prevents unauthorized traffic from getting entry into the web applications. WAF is a necessity today irrespective of the size of your business.