Go4hosting
FORUM

What Is Web Application Firewall?

Web application firewall (WAF) is firewall solutions that can be either hardware, software or cloud- based. In contrast to the traditional network infrastructure security tools, WAF specifically focuses on identifying and filtering bad traffic that could attack the web applications, websites and web servers. Clients can determine how they want the WAF configured to suit their business operations.

Web servers usually come with IDS, IPS, and other standard firewalls that cannot prevent SQL injections, XSS attacks etc. WAF scrutinizes the HTTP(s) traffic and can stop attacks that can otherwise make an application vulnerable due to some security flaws. WAF effectively filters out traffic that could cause attacks like cross-site scripting(CSS), SQL injection, security misconfigurations, session hijacking etc. WAF can validate inputs to stop any malicious attack before they damage, block scanners, and patch application vulnerabilities.

WAF is implemented in many ways that include:

1. Physical WAF that is basically hardware based and installed locally to reduce latency
2. Software-based WAF is available as an inline web server or as a plugin.
3. Cloud hosting -based WAF that requires no hardware or software to be installed and maintained. It is a low-cost solution and offered on a subscription model.

WAF, if properly configured, can be effective in complying with the PCI-DSS and HIPAA regulations.