If you have ever had any web management or application experience, you are likely to be familiar with a WAF or a web application firewall. It may seem just a little Jumbo technical mumbo, but after knowing what it is and how it works, it will begin to refer to it as one of its best defenses. We are going to break it in simple terms: what is a WAF, why the rules that are as important and how different configurations can change the way it protects its site.
What is a WAF?
In the digital world, websites and applications always talk to people, more precisely with their browsers. They do it through HTTP. This is how people load their home page, complete forms, log in or do anything else you provide.
A web application firewall, or WAF, is essentially an expert level translator that resides between the two and monitors all interactions. What do you ask, questions? Identify when something is out of place and stop it before an incident can occur.
While a standard firewall protects its devices and networks, a WAF focuses mainly on web traffic, that is, incoming requests from browsers, applications and bots. It works in layer 7 of the OSI model, which handles the application layer; That is, speak web language and can discern and block the malware that camouflages into regular traffic.
Why do WAF rules matter?
The power of a WAF lies in the rules: these are the conditions through which it determines what is allowed and what does not. The rules are scheduled to identify malicious behavior. Therefore, if an attacker tries to insert a malicious SQL command under the appearance of a sent form, the WAF can identify and stop it.
These are dynamic rules, by the way. You can adjust them on the march. Suppose that suddenly its application is being beaten by Bot traffic that tries to overload it, that is a traditional ddos attack. You do not need to wait for an update or a patch. You can modify you WAF rules In real time, perhaps establishing speed limits or blocking the traffic of specific regions and re -controls. It is this rapid response capacity that makes WAFS so useful. They are not simply a defensive wall. They are an adaptive system that can adjust based on what is happening in real time.
Block list and rental list: two defense approaches
Each WAF has a logic based on which it operates. The most commonly used methods are block and lists list models.
A WAF block list It operates identifying threats you already know. If the traffic arises that coincides with any family pattern or signature of an attack, a type of script given in cross -site command sequences, for example, is directly blocked. It is easy and effective, but reactive. It stands out to prevent repeat offenders.
A waf rental list It has the opposite strategy. Instead of waiting to catch something wrong, it only allows the traffic that has previously been authorized. This is more strict and typically safer, but it is slower to start. It must define in advance what is the “good” traffic.
None of these approaches is impeccable by itself. That is why most WAF combine both methods, combining them for a smarter and more equitable defense. It would be like establishing a club gorilla that has a list of guests and a more won list.
WAF implementation options: what adapts to its configuration
The WAF not only differ when it comes to how they work, but they are also different in their locations. There are three general classes: network -based, host -based and cloud -based. Each one has its benefits and idiosyncrasy, and selects based on how they created their site or application.
A network -based waf It is a solution of industrial force. In general, it is hardware that you put in your infrastructure. It is fast and effective, but expensive and physically intensive in maintenance. Most small businesses avoid it unless they have highly specialized performance or compliance requirements.
A waf -based wafrion resides within its application or server. It is more adaptable and generally less expensive than a network based. But it comes with luggage: it consumes the resources of its local server, it has long been configuring and requires maintenance. You have more control, but responsibility.
Cloud -based wafs They are, on the contrary, the preferred option for most companies and developers these days. They are a piece of cake to install, generally a matter of pointing DNS to the cloud supplier, and climb well. They are automatically updated and does not have to administer them all the time. Pay a monthly rate and someone else does the rest. The capture is that you trust a third party, so you will not necessarily know how everything happens behind the scene.
Do you really need a waf?
Here is the trick: if you are live on the web and take the entry of users of any kind, you are vulnerable to attacks. If you have a small audience or if you think your application is harmless, it doesn’t matter. The bots are not worried. They track millions of websites daily looking for vulnerabilities.
A WAF is a good way to draw a line under obvious attacks and minimize its exhibition. It is not a complete security solution that you need, but it plays a lot of common land, particularly when it comes to Owasp Top 10which is a classification of the most frequent and dangerous web vulnerabilities. So, even if it is new, even if you have a blog, or house a wallet, or manage a web utility that uses ten people, a WAF can have a significant impact.
Wrap it
A web application firewall can sound like something that only use large companies with dedicated security equipment, but that is no longer the case. Now, the WAF are easily available, flexible and increasingly essential. They work applying rules that protect their application from real world attacks as DDOSAnd these rules can be modified and configured when needing it.
Whether choosing a cloud -based solution, a built -in option or a stronger solution and at the time, knowing how the wafs work, and what drives them, can help it build a safer web presence from the beginning. The web is not becoming safer. But you don’t have to leave your application completely exposed. You can use appropriate tools, such as a WAF configured effectively. Establish the rules, monitor the flow and continue advancing, with one thing less about worrying.
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