Integrating WAF Solutions with Existing Security Infrastructure
Building a secure web application is a tricky business, especially when most web applications are built on open-source code and are exposed to all the threats that the Internet has to offer. Attackers have time to study the code many applications are built on and a growing number of resources to use to exploit it, which means that your company can’t rely only on secure code and timely patches.
Instead, consider implementing a variety of security solutions that can reduce your risk of attack, and ensure that all of these solutions are integrated with one another. One of the most important components of effective security infrastructure is WAF solutions, which protect applications by preventing malicious traffic from accessing them. However, it’s risky to depend too much on a single security solution, which is why you should ensure that the WAF solutions are well-integrated with a comprehensive set of security tools.
The Importance of the WAF
Despite your security team’s best efforts, it’s not possible to eliminate every vulnerability within your web application. Code is complicated at the best of times, and hackers are becoming increasingly well-equipped to find flaws with the advent of new technologies like AI and machine learning. To prevent attackers from reaching those vulnerabilities, many organizations depend on web application firewalls (WAFs). A WAF intercepts unusual traffic and prevents it from accessing the application.
One of the key benefits of the WAF is its ability to filter illegitimate traffic and bad bots without blocking the legitimate traffic, like good bots or your customers. It can prevent attacks like DDoS, credential stuffing, scraping, and other OWASP threats by alerting security teams to unusual activity and atypical requests to the application. Without a WAF, your application is relying on the security of your application and your team’s ability to patch vulnerabilities before an attacker reaches them. For both your application’s security and your peace of mind, the WAF is the way to go.
Key Components of WAF Integration
While implementing WAFs is important, they work best when integrated with other security solutions. Ideally, your applications should have multiple layers of security to best prevent attacks. Consider incorporating the following options into your security suite:
- Anti-Malware Solutions: WAFs filter illegitimate traffic, but they don’t catch files containing malicious code. Anti-malware solutions will proactively scan files and code attached to requests and quarantine suspicious files, preventing your application from becoming infected. It will also remove malware that has already snuck into your application.
- Authentication Providers: Carefully controlling access to your software and data is essential for your ongoing security. The first step to access control is creating a zero-trust environment and limiting the data that your users can access. Permissions should be given selectively. The second step is to use the WAF to ensure that established access rules are enforced. By doing this, you reduce the risk that an attacker will be able to access large amounts of your data by impersonating an authorized user. Essentially, you’re limiting the reach of a successful attack.
- Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems: While WAFs detect unusual traffic on their own, intrusion detection and prevention systems add an extra layer of filtration and analysis.
- Vulnerability Scanners: Your security team is likely already keeping an eye out for vulnerabilities, but incorporating an automated scanner can improve efficiency and help prioritize patching. Integrated with a WAF, the scanner can contribute to its filtering rules. When informed of the vulnerability, a good WAF will automatically update its rules to protect the security flaw until it can be fixed.
Simplifying WAF Integration
Although the previously listed components of an effective security environment are important, the list is not exhaustive. For best results, there are several other components that might also be integrated with a WAF. For many organizations, keeping track of all these moving parts and the constantly changing threat landscape can be overwhelming, which is where cybersecurity platforms come in.
Cybersecurity platforms seamlessly integrate WAFs with your other security tools, so instead of manually managing all of these components, it works better for many to outsource. Using a single platform simplifies security for your company, which means you are able to focus on your organizational goals rather than the nuts and bolts of a well-balanced, fully integrated security setup. Your security team will have more time and resources to focus on other projects as well, like addressing vulnerabilities.
When you look for the right cybersecurity platform for your company, be sure to consider factors like versatility, adaptability, and expertise. The platform should effectively utilize automation for fast reaction times, and it should be able to manage a variety of endpoints so that anything in your environment will be fully secured. Security professionals should be constantly monitoring to quickly detect and alert you to threats, and it should provide you with insights and data analytics that can inform your security decisions for the future.
There are a lot of moving parts in any security environment, but they are necessary for keeping your data and infrastructure safe from attack. WAFs are essential parts of this effort, and integrating them with the rest of the security tools is important for getting the most out of them. Additionally, finding an effective cybersecurity platform can help keep all those parts organized into an integrated whole while also keeping your security team’s time and resources available for your organization’s other priorities. Ultimately, the best way forward is to utilize all of the tools available to you. No one ever regrets spending too much time preventing expensive cyberattacks, after all.
