Web Application Firewalls (WAF)

Web applications are at the heart of today’s digital world, enabling e-commerce, banking, social media, and countless other online services. However, these applications are prime targets for cyberattacks due to the sensitive data they handle and their public exposure. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) play a vital role in protecting these applications from common threats, such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. This blog will explore WAFs in detail, covering their functionality, types, advantages, limitations, and their importance in securing modern web applications.

1. Introduction to WAF: Definition, How It Works, and Its Role in Security

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security tool specifically designed to protect web applications by monitoring, filtering, and analyzing HTTP requests. It operates at the application layer (Layer 7 of the OSI model), where it filters traffic based on specific rules, thus shielding applications from common attacks like XSS and SQL injection.

How Does a WAF Work?

A WAF examines incoming HTTP requests and applies a set of security policies to determine whether the requests are safe. Based on the analysis, the WAF either permits, blocks, or challenges the traffic. WAFs are particularly effective…