Web Application Firewall (WAF) standard refers to a set of security measures and practices used to protect web applications from various cyber threats and attacks. It typically involves implementing security policies, such as filtering HTTP requests and responses, inspecting traffic for suspicious patterns, and blocking malicious activities in real-time.
The difference between Azure Web Application Firewall Standard and WAF lies in their specific implementations within the Azure cloud platform. Azure WAF Standard is a specific service offered by Microsoft Azure that provides protection for web applications hosted on Azure Application Gateway. It includes features like OWASP rulesets, bot protection, and customization options for managing web traffic security effectively.
WSA (Web Security Appliance) and WAF (Web Application Firewall) serve different purposes in cybersecurity. WSA is a security appliance designed to protect networks from various internet threats, including malware, phishing, and other web-based attacks. It operates at the network level, filtering traffic before it reaches internal systems. In contrast, WAF is specifically focused on protecting web applications from attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other application-layer vulnerabilities. It operates at the application layer, inspecting and filtering HTTP requests and responses.
WAF v2 (Web Application Firewall version 2) and standard WAF (Web Application Firewall standard) differ in terms of features and capabilities. WAF v2 typically offers enhanced performance, scalability, and additional features compared to the standard version. It may include improved rule management, better integration with cloud-native services, and more advanced threat detection and mitigation capabilities, making it suitable for larger and more complex web application environments.
There are two main types of web application firewalls: network-based WAFs and host-based WAFs. Network-based WAFs are deployed at the network perimeter or in front of web servers, inspecting traffic before it reaches the web application. They provide centralized protection for multiple applications but may introduce latency due to their placement. Host-based WAFs, on the other hand, are installed on individual web servers or as part of the web application itself. They offer granular control and visibility into application-layer traffic but require management on each host where they are deployed. Both types aim to protect web applications from various cyber threats by filtering and monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic.