What is a Firewall?
A traditional network firewall is a security solution that defines and protects a network boundary by inspecting and filtering malicious traffic attempting to cross that boundary.
The simplest firewalls inspect the headers of network packets and permit or deny them based on IP addresses and port numbers. More sophisticated firewalls – such as next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) – also inspect the payloads of network packets and incorporate various security capabilities to identify embedded malware, data exfiltration, and other threats.
These NGFW capabilities are essential to protecting organizations against modern cyberattacks, which are more subtle and sophisticated than those of years before.
What is a Web Application Firewall (WAF)?
A web application firewall (WAF) is a particular type of firewall designed to secure web applications and APIs. Instead of providing comprehensive protection against all types of network traffic, it focuses on identifying and blocking attempted exploits targeting vulnerable corporate web applications.
WAFs specialize in identifying and blocking Application Layer attacks of the OSI model (layer 7). This involves inspecting HTTPS requests to web applications and APIs for signs of SQL injection and similar web application security threats. SQL is a standard language for database creation and communicating with databases.
SQL Injection is a common cybersecurity attack vector that uses malicious SQL code for backend database manipulation to steal data. This information can include:
- Sensitive company data
- User lists, bank accounts
- PII (Personal Identifiable Information)
WAF vs. Firewall: Key Differences
A WAF is a particular kind of firewall; however, the term firewall is usually used to refer to something different than a WAF.
Here are the key differences between the traditional firewall and a WAF:
- Scope of Protection: A WAF is a focused solution designed to protect an organization’s web applications against attack. In contrast, an NGFW or similar firewall is intended to monitor all incoming traffic crossing a network boundary, including web and application traffic and various other forms of network traffic.
- OSI Layer: A WAF is a Layer 7 security solution, that inspects malicious requests for signs of SQL injection and similar web application attacks. While NGFWs can also operate at Layer 7 — offering application awareness and granular access controls — traditional firewalls primarily operate at Layers 3 and 4 of the OSI model, looking at IP addresses and TCP/UDP ports.
- Primary Focus: WAFs are geared toward exploit detection, looking for attempts to take advantage of vulnerable web applications. In contrast, firewalls block unapproved IP addresses and protocols and look for malicious content or data exfiltration within network traffic.
When to Use Each
WAFs and firewalls are both designed to monitor and filter network traffic. However, they’re intended for different use cases. WAFs are designed solely to protect an organization’s web applications and APIs against attack. These should be deployed in front of public-facing web apps, both on-prem and in the cloud.
Firewalls are a general network security solution designed to secure a network boundary by identifying and filtering malicious content or attempted data exfiltration within network traffic. Firewalls are deployed either at the network perimeter or internally within a corporate network to implement network segmentation.
Complementary Security
WAFs are a type of firewall, but the two solutions are designed to provide very different services.
WAFs offer a specialized layer of security for web applications, while firewalls provide general-purpose network security and traffic filtering. Instead of competing solutions, WAFs and firewalls such as NGFWs should be seen as complementary security tools. The NGFW is intended to guard an organization’s network perimeter or segment boundaries against potential threats.
A WAF helps to ensure that web applications are protected against exploitation and aren’t the cause of a data breach or other security incident.
Check Point Cloudguard WAF and Quantum NGFW
WAFs and NGFWs are critical parts of most organizations’ security architecture. The WAF protects web applications against attack, while the NGFW secures the corporate network against inbound threats and attempted data exfiltration. Choosing the right solution for both is vital to protecting the organization against attack.
Check Point offers solutions for both corporate WAFs and NGFWs. To learn more about how Cloudguard WAF stacks up against other WAF solutions, check out the 2024 GigaOm Radar Report for Application and API Security (AAS). Then, see the capabilities of CloudGuard WAF for yourself by signing up for a free demo. Check Point also offers WAF-as-a-Service which can be set up in minutes, and also provides DDoS protection. Learn more about WAF capabilities with a free demo.
For organizations looking for a NGFW, Check Point offers Quantum Force, an AI-powered NGFW with industry-leading threat prevention capabilities. Find out more about how Quantum Force can enhance your organization’s protection against cyber threats with a free demo.
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