WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL (WAF)

Protect your organisation’s web servers and web applications from malware, attacks and other threats with a layer of protection between end users and applications. A web application firewall (WAF) provides a flexible barrier and is designed to filter all application access by inspecting traffic that passes through it.

Attacks to apps are the leading cause of breaches, representing the gateway to your valuable data. Technetics Consulting can help you mitigate the various threats associated with your web-based applications using a WAF.

HOW DOES A WAF WORK?

WAFs are designed to analyse each HTTP/S request at the application layer. It is typically user, session and application aware, meaning they consider the web apps behind it, how they are used and what services they offer. WAFs act as an intermediary, preventing attacks without blocking legitimate users or causing slower web application performance. WAFs protect against:

  • Cross-site forgery
  • Cross-site-scripting (XSS)
  • SQL injection
  • Cookie poisoning
  • File inclusion
  • Security misconfigurations
  • Broken authentication
  • Sensitive data exposure

By having a WAF in front of web applications, you create a shield between the web application and the internet. A WAF can detect data in greater detail compared to a traditional network firewall, such as being able to validate form field input and protect application cookies.

HOW ARE WAFS USED?

A WAF can be deployed in several ways depending on where your applications are deployed, how you want to manage it, the services needed and the level of architectural flexibility and performance you require.

  • Network-based WAFs are typically hardware-based and installed locally. While this minimises latency, it's also more costly and requires significant storage and maintenance of physical equipment.
  • Host-based WAFs are often integrated into an application’s software, offering more customisation and lowering costs compared to a network-based WAF. However, a host-based WAF will consume local server resources, adds complexity and requires ongoing engineering and maintenance costs.
  • Cloud-based WAFs are affordable, effective and very easy to implement. Installation can be as simple as a change in DNS to redirect traffic. Users pay monthly or annual fees for security as a service instead of incurring high upfront costs. Cloud-based WAFs can also be consistently updated to protect against emerging and changing threats without any additional work or cost.

Network and host based WAFs are ideal for meeting very specific and highly demanding deployment requirements. For most organisations and businesses, a cloud-based solution that is fully managed as a service works as an effective, flexible, low cost option.

BENEFITS OF APPLICATION BASED PROTECTION WITH A WAF

A WAF typically forms part of a suite of tools which together provide a holistic defence against cyber threats. It’s comparable to a proxy server, which protects the identity of a device by using an intermediary. A WAF is a kind of reverse-proxy that protects the server from exposure with traffic passing through the WAF before reaching the server.

A well deployed WAF keeps applications and APIs secure and productive, prevents denial of service attacks, keeps bots at bay, detects anomalies and malicious payloads while constantly monitoring for browser supply chain attacks. WAFs are an effective first line of defence for your applications to prevent compromises and data breaches.

WHY CHOOSE TECHNETICS?

Technetics has extensive experience providing IT security services to organisations across Australia. Our team will deploy the appropriate WAF after assessing the unique risk profile of your organisation. WAFs are just one of many essential IT security services we provide to Australian businesses and organisations. We can help you build a comprehensive and cost-effective cyber security solution using a WAF along with other services such as managed firewalls, dark web monitoring, penetration testing and more.

CONTACT US TODAY

To find out more about deploying the right WAF for your organisation, get in touch with the team at Technetics. We’ll answer any questions you have and guide you through the process of getting started. Contact us online or call us on 1300 853 453.

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