An application firewall is a security solution designed specifically to monitor, filter, and block malicious traffic to and from web applications and APIs. Unlike traditional network firewalls that protect at the network or transport layer, application firewalls operate at the application layer (Layer 7 of the OSI model), providing deep inspection of HTTP/HTTPS traffic to prevent attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other application-layer threats.
Analyzes the contents of web requests and responses, not just headers, to detect and block malicious payloads.
Applies customizable security policies and rules to allow, block, or challenge incoming traffic based on patterns or behaviors.
Shields applications from OWASP Top 10 threats like SQL injection, XSS, file inclusion attacks, and CSRF.
Monitors and protects API endpoints from unauthorized access and abuse, including bot attacks and data scraping.
Tracks and logs suspicious activity, enabling security teams to respond quickly to emerging threats.
Provides a focused defense on application-specific vulnerabilities missed by traditional firewalls.
Helps meet regulatory requirements such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR by securing sensitive application data.
Some application firewalls include features to detect and mitigate Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting applications.
Can be deployed as hardware appliances, software solutions, or cloud-based services.
Fine-tuned rules help reduce unnecessary blocking of legitimate users.
An online retailer experiences frequent attempts of SQL injection attacks on their checkout page. They deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) that inspects every HTTP request.
The WAF blocks malicious SQL commands embedded in user inputs.
It alerts the security team about repeated attack attempts from specific IP addresses.
The retailer updates WAF rules to block those IPs and similar attack patterns automatically.
The firewall logs provide detailed reports for compliance audits.
As a result, fraudulent transactions reduce, and customer trust increases.
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