Application firewalls (also known as web application firewalls, or WAFs) are a critical component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. They help to protect web applications from a wide range of attacks, including cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

What is an Application Firewall?

An application firewall is a type of firewall that monitors and filters traffic to and from web applications. It does this by inspecting the application’s requests and responses, looking for malicious patterns. If a malicious pattern is detected, the WAF can block the request or response, preventing the attack from succeeding.

How Do Application Firewalls Work?

Application firewalls work by inspecting the application’s requests and responses. They do this by looking for specific patterns that are associated with known attacks. For example, an application firewall might look for requests that contain certain types of SQL commands. If a request contains one of these commands, the WAF can block it, preventing an attacker from injecting malicious code into the application.

What Attacks Do Application Firewalls Protect Against?

Application firewalls can protect against a wide range of attacks, including:

  • Cross-site scripting (XSS): XSS attacks are a type of attack where an attacker injects malicious code into a web page. This code can then be executed by the victim’s browser, allowing the attacker to steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information.
  • SQL injection: SQL injection attacks are a type of attack where an attacker injects malicious SQL code into a web application. This code can then be executed by the application, allowing the attacker to steal data from the database or even take control of the application.
  • Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks: DoS attacks are a type of attack where an attacker floods a web application with so much traffic that it becomes unavailable to legitimate users.

How to Choose an Application Firewall

When choosing an application firewall, there are a few factors you need to consider, including:

  • The types of attacks you need to protect against
  • The size and complexity of your web applications
  • Your budget

Once you have considered these factors, you can start to narrow down your options. There are a number of different application firewalls available, so it is important to do your research and choose one that is right for your needs.

Conclusion

Application firewalls are an important part of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. They can help to protect web applications from a wide range of attacks, helping to keep your data safe.

If you are not sure if your organization needs an application firewall, or if you are not sure which one to choose, please contact a security professional for help.