Cybercriminals who specifically attack known vulnerabilities often focus their efforts on web apps. These programmes are left as sitting ducks since not all of these weaknesses can be fixed right away, and not all patches are deployed by IT. It’s not necessary to be that way. In the same way a perimeter firewall prevents network incursions, a web application firewall, or WAF, may stop hackers from accessing your applications. A web application firewall is what, then? It appears to be somewhat self-explanatory on the surface, but the devil is in the WAF specifics. In this article, we’ll examine these specifics, illustrate how a web application firewall prevents assaults, and show you how to get started.
Why do hackers attack?
The main issue that IT must deal with is that online applications have security flaws. These flaws are not just present in custom-made applications; market-leading programmes are frequently reported to have security flaws as well. There are a large number of vulnerable apps, so no one should be complacent about how safe their app is. One of the main drivers is ransomware extortion or threats to publish private data. Again, it is not necessary for the organization’s size or type to be substantial in order for these efforts to be successful.
Vectoring is the process by which clients who are using your hacked web application are infected with malware. While your application doesn’t actually suffer any harm on the surface, there is a chance that your reputation could suffer and that search engines and client protection software will block your website.
What is a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?
Traditional firewall security protection is expanded upon and improved by a Web Application Firewall (WAF). Since they cannot see the content of HTTPS communication, conventional firewalls do not block it. A web application firewall runs at Layer 7 of the network architecture and is logically positioned between common firewalls and web servers. It is capable of analysing data and decrypting HTTPS transmission. When malicious behaviour is discovered, the Web Application Firewall can prevent access to web servers by working with lists of known attack techniques, according to the Progress/Kemp glossary.
How does a WAF assist?
A WAF is a proxy that stands in the way of users and a web application. It scans all traffic for attempts to exploit vulnerabilities by hostile parties and can stop them from reaching the web application.
Typically, firewalls are used to monitor network traffic, adding an extra layer of security by scanning all site traffic and protecting the network from malicious bots and a variety of other attack vectors. While WAFs merely watch traffic passively, they also actively seek to strengthen the
weaknesses in web applications, continuously scan for vulnerabilities, and frequently spot network flaws before users ever become aware of them.
While a patch is not a long-term fix, it does allow the user some time to fix the problem and guard against network security threats. A WAF can transmit logging and event information to external security and monitoring services as part of a tiered security approach. The WAF employs a set of rules that offer defence against a variety of assaults. These rules have changed over time to accommodate new and emerging threats. The WAF included with Progress/Kemp LoadMaster automatically updates these rules on a regular basis.
Conclusion
WAFs are deployed in zones that have contact with internet, protecting HTTP/HTTPS applications and servers. The focus of its protection is safety of application or server. Web application firewalls (WAF) operate fundamentally differently and were built as such to give customers a safe and reliable network architecture.