AWS Web Application Firewalls: All You Need to Know About it

Web apps are among the most popular digital tools in the modern world and it makes sense too. And this popularity, then, raises very valid questions about cybersecurity. The fact that we live an increasing part of our lives online has made us susceptible to cyberattacks as well. Thankfully, this threat has given rise to a wide variety of tools that claim to help companies and businesses tend to the security-related challenges they face in the digital world. However, there's one name that clearly stands out in the middle of this crowd: AWS Web Application Firewalls and AWS Shield. As the discussion suggests, they are two top-notch solutions to safeguard websites against DDoS attacks, Trojan programs, and monitoring HTTP and HTTPS requests.

So, how do they work? Before we explain that, it is essential to clarify that AWS Shield is a subset of AWS WAF. Back to business, then; AWS WAF has a seemingly simple operating process. It involves perimeter defense and prevents attackers from gaining access to systems, servers and beyond the protection mentioned above the boundary. These systems' entrance is controlled by actions and tasks such as filtering web traffic with help from customer rules, continually tracking requests, and blocking requests from attackers. This process also involves tweaking and adjusting the firewall rules and ensuring legitimate rights don't end up being blocked.

Next up: the kind of attack these solutions are adept at preventing.

    1. Distributed Denial of Service attacks: As mentioned above, this duo is primarily aimed at ensuring security against DDoS attacks, i.e., when bots or crawlers inundate the server with HTTP requests. This overloading of the server with an excessive number of requests then causes it to freeze, thus preventing it from functioning correctly. In some extreme cases, such an attack can also lead the server to shut down completely.

    2. SQL injection: In such attacks, attackers inject ill-intended SQL codes intending to hijack databases and steal data. It is problematic in every context when you consider the compassionate nature of the data typically shared while signing up for accounts, making payments, etc. And we don't have to tell you how dangerous it can be if such data ends up in the wrong hands.

    3. XSS attacks: Cross-site scripting attacks involve attackers slyly inserting lousy code in a website. These codes are then transferred into customers' devices and are then used to steal sensitive data. Once again, it is never a good idea for such data to be controlled by hackers and cyber attackers.

Based on the discussion mentioned above, it is easy to see that together AWS Web Application Firewalls and AWS Shield are quite accomplished at delivering excellent security levels. And they will continue to come in handy as the threats around us continue to grow. So, what are you waiting for? Find a reliable web application development firm and get started with integrating this duo to achieve ace security for your website.

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