Web Application Firewalls (WAF) act as a protective layer between applications and the internet, blocking traffic that does not belong and protecting against vulnerabilities and attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting and DDoS attacks.
WAFs can be deployed either as network-based appliances that sit between applications and the internet or host-based software running on each server that hosts web applications; both options offer flexibility and scalability.
Anomaly scoring system
Web Application Firewall employs both detection and inspection rules to detect and stop attacks. Individual rules are created to identify specific forms of attacks or malicious behavior; rather than taking immediate disruption when matching rules are met, each matching rule instead contributes to an anomaly score which acts as a running total; when this threshold threshold is reached it results in blocking transactions - an approach more effective than negative security models that utilize blacklists to block traffic altogether.
Anomaly Scoring Mode combines detection and inspection functions in an adaptive manner that quickly adapts to shifting attack patterns. Core Rule Set 3 operates in anomaly scoring mode, contributing each matched rule towards an overall anomaly score for transactions. Unlike traditional blocking policies, anomaly scoring only applies when receiving inbound requests; by default its paranoia level is set at -1 so when an inbound request matches one of its rules at this level it will only be logged and not blocked, providing organizations the freedom to increase the paranoia level without risking disruptions or blockages caused by traditional blocking policies.
WAF solutions must not only detect anomaly scoring but also be capable of recognizing common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). Modern enterprise environments dominated by remote work trends and BYOD policies have dramatically expanded attack surfaces for applications; using WAF protection against common attacks like DDoS (distributed denial of service), cookie poisoning and XML/JSON injection can safeguard these new APIs against attacks such as DDoS.
The Barracuda Web Application Firewall protects against an array of application-layer threats, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting and distributed denial-of-service attacks. By integrating with third-party vulnerability scanning tools you can quickly remediate applications and implement changes with confidence. It supports cloud native and hybrid configurations while its REST API integrates with DevOps tools like Puppet Chef Ansible Terraform for Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment processes as well as Blue Green Canary rollouts so you can test and deploy new or updated applications with minimal impact to production servers or users.
DDoS protection
Web application firewalls (WAF) can protect web applications against DDoS attacks by filtering and blocking suspicious traffic, as well as by detecting and blocking requests intended to inject code or modify their operation. A WAF can detect such attacks by inspecting response codes sent back to clients and blocking responses containing sensitive information such as credit card numbers; in addition, WAFs also stop attacks that try to leak data.
Web applications offer hackers an ideal means of accessing critical systems and stealing sensitive information, making them attractive targets for hackers. Unfortunately, the threat landscape has changed considerably with more attacks targeting web application layers becoming frequent and complex - organizations must adopt a holistic strategy to defend them against vulnerabilities; new technology, such as web application firewalls can offer valuable help here.
Kemp LoadMaster's WAF utilizes ModSecurity engine and open-source rules sets to protect applications against known attack vectors such as cross site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, cookie tampering and other forms of malicious activity. Furthermore, Kemp WAF protects against application layer DDoS attacks which involve volumetric assaults on web applications and APIs. Various licensing models exist so you can customize it to meet performance and security needs - this includes metered licenses that enable deployment according to needs based on requirements set by LoadMaster instances such as these metered licenses allow customization according to requirements allowing more specific deployment models tailored specifically for you or based on performance needs compared with traditional DDoS security measures.
Sucuri website firewall is a cloud-based protection system similar to StackPath that works similarly. All Internet traffic is routed through their servers for analysis before being blocked off by unauthenticated users or subjected to DDoS/BOT mitigation services. They also offer transfer optimization, caching and DDoS/BOT mitigation - an excellent option for businesses without their own server infrastructure. Alternatively, Indusface AppTrana managed service provides all these capabilities under one umbrella package which can be delivered either through content delivery networks or SaaS solutions.
Malicious traffic detection
Web application firewalls are essential components of a robust security strategy, helping businesses thwart advanced cyberattacks and strengthen existing application security programs. Furthermore, they help maintain control over data that's too sensitive to be shared publicly - especially relevant for online retailers, healthcare organizations and financial services that face ongoing theft and fraud threats that threaten their brands, expose them to regulatory oversight and diminish consumer trust.
WAFs work by inspecting and monitoring traffic to and from a web-facing application. By analyzing request contents and responding messages, they detect anomalous patterns or anomalous responses that could indicate malicious activity - this can include inspecting HTTP headers and verifying response contents; more advanced WAFs can even analyze XML, JSON and other common data transfer formats.
The best WAFs can detect an array of attacks, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF), among many others. They also protect confidential or private data by masking or blocking outbound traffic containing sensitive data.
WAFs are used on network edges and monitor traffic between web applications and end users, operating at network layer 7. They detect vulnerabilities not easily detectable with traditional firewalls; however, WAFs should not replace other forms of security controls and must be used alongside them for maximum effectiveness.
Kemp's WAF is an all-in-one solution that provides protection for custom and off-the-shelf web applications, featuring per-application security profiles, source location-based filtering and support for custom rules. Additionally, its OWASP Top 10 threat detection capabilities help organizations identify and prevent attack vectors such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). Built upon ModSecurity engine with open source rule sets leveraged, Kemp's WAF also features centralized configuration management and audit results to streamline network device management & support while supporting metered LoadMaster instances with metered licenses all backed up by award-winning service & security experts at Kemp.
Malware detection
Malware detection on a web application firewall (WAF) analyzes traffic and verifies that data packets do not contain malicious or unsafe values. It checks for known patterns of attack such as those listed in OWASP Top 10, vulnerabilities and cookie manipulation techniques used for SQL injection attacks and web exploits - an integral component of many types of web attacks and exploits that must be detected to provide administrators with early warning of potential security risks.
WAFs work by intercepting HTTP and HTTPS network traffic in order to inspect, filter, and block it at the application layer. They operate according to either whitelist or blacklist principles allowing only legitimate traffic through while blocking all others; additionally they can check for specific attack patterns such as session hijacking, buffer overflow, XSS attacks or command and control communication.
WAFs can monitor data packets to make sure that their contents match those requested, thus protecting sensitive information from being released into the open. For example, if a video file was requested and received as response only images or other non-malicious data.
As attacks against web applications and APIs have become a primary cause of breaches, organizations must implement Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to secure their apps. Traditional firewalls cannot protect against application level attacks such as those directed against APIs - while WAFs provide effective defenses even against sophisticated bots that pose as human users.
WAFs offer more than just protection from common web application vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS). Aside from providing basic protection against such common risks as cross-site scripting (XSS), they also can assist in mitigating more sophisticated threats like volumetric DDoS attacks at the application layer and malware infections. WAFs play an invaluable role in any security infrastructure - especially within agile development environments and cloud native architecture environments.
The Barracuda Web Application Firewall is an efficient, user-friendly tool designed to quickly and comprehensively defend web application attacks. Its full REST API integrates easily with DevOps tools such as Puppet Chef Ansible Terraform AWS CloudFormation Azure Arm to automate deployment and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD). In addition, its full feature set protects against all common vulnerabilities with an intuitive UI that's simple to navigate and flexible deployment options including blue green deployments/canary rollouts/CI/CD deployment options such as blue green deployments/canary rollouts/CI/CD.
