WAF Definition

WAF, or web application firewall, is a security tool that protects web applications from cyberattacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), file inclusion, and SQL injection. WAF protects web applications by screening and scanning HTTP traffic between the web application and the internet. Web application firewalls can be used in various forms, from cloud-based to on-premises. Using web application firewalls has many advantages to users and companies. For example, they improve security compliance with security requirements and increase efficiency and performance. Below, we will cover more benefits of using a web application firewall and provide examples of some of the most-known WAFs.

Examples of WAFs

Below are examples of well-known web applications firewalls:

• Cloudflare WAF
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) WAF
• F5 WAF
• Akamai WAF
• Imperva WAF

Advantages of Using a WAF

Using a web application firewall provides various advantages to users and companies. Amongst them are:

• Security – WAFs protect web applications from cyberattacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), file inclusion, and SQL injection. WAFs also reduce the risks of data breaches by blocking malicious traffic.
• Compliance – WAFs are effective in helping companies comply with security regulations.
• Efficiency – WAFs can automate tasks involved in protecting web applications, freeing time for security teams to focus on other security tasks.
• Visibility – A WAF can provide detailed information about web application traffic, such as requests, traffic sources, and blocked attacks.
• Performance – By caching static content and blocking malicious traffic, WAFs can reduce the load on web servers and improve performance.

Users and companies that use web application firewalls increase network and digital infrastructure protections. WAFs provide several benefits since they are secure, increase compliance with security regulations, and increase efficiency and performance.