AWS WAF
AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a service that helps protect your web applications from common web exploits and attacks. Think of it as a security guard that inspects all traffic coming to your website and blocks malicious visitors.
Overview
AWS WAF works by monitoring the HTTP(S) requests that come to your applications and allowing you to control which traffic gets through. You can create rules that filter out potentially harmful traffic based on patterns you define or known malicious sources.
The service can identify and block common attack patterns like SQL injection (attempts to manipulate your database) or cross-site scripting (attempts to inject malicious code into your website). It also lets you block traffic from specific countries or IP addresses that you consider risky.
One of WAF's key features is its ability to create rules that look for specific patterns in requests, like certain text strings in URLs, query parameters, or headers. This helps you customize protection based on your application's specific needs and threats.
WAF also provides real-time metrics and alerts about the traffic it processes, helping you understand what kinds of threats are targeting your application and adjust your protection accordingly.
Example uses
Block Attack Patterns: Stop common web attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and path traversal attempts.
Geo-Blocking: Restrict access to your application from specific countries or regions.
Rate Limiting: Prevent abuse by limiting how many requests a single IP can make in a given time period.
Custom Rules: Block specific request patterns unique to your application's security needs.
Integration with other AWS services
WAF integrates seamlessly with several AWS services:
- Amazon CloudFront: Protect your CDN-distributed content from attacks
- AWS Elastic Load Balancing: Secure your web applications with an Application Load Balancer
- Amazon API Gateway: Protect your APIs from malicious requests
- Amazon CloudWatch: Monitor and alert on security events
Think of AWS WAF as your website's security system, inspecting visitors and blocking those that show suspicious behavior, while letting legitimate users through without delay.