Choosing the Right WAF Service

Choosing an ideal Web Application Firewall (WAF), for instance, Modshield, requires an evaluation process based on multiple parameters to ensure it is perfectly customized to your company’s unique needs and standards. This article presents six key aspects to consider while selecting a WAF for solid protection of your web applications.

6 key aspects to consider while selecting a WAF

Performance and Scalability

WAFs function at the forefront, preventing the web traffic from reaching your server. It is, therefore, essential to determine if the WAF doesn’t hinder your web applications’ performance and can scale with your organization’s growth.

Key aspects to take into account include:

• Throughput:

  Verify whether the WAF can manage a lot of traffic without affecting speed or user experience. Modshield offers a scalable solution to satisfy your application needs.

• Latency:

  Evaluate the delays caused by the WAF. Such delays or latency should be minimal to help retain a high-quality user experience. Modshield typically boosts minimal latency of a few milliseconds.

• High Availability:

  Confirm if Modshield ensures the continuous availability of your application. This feature is crucial for organizations that prioritize round-the-clock uptime.

• Failure Management:

  A smart move is to check how Modshield handles failures since no software is foolproof. Sometimes, real-world situations lead to issues, and it’s important to identify Modshield’s behavior in such instances.

• Integration with CDNs:

  A WAF’s compatibility with Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) influences its performance. Look for a WAF like Modshield that is CDN agnostic and provides an opportunity to tap into the speed advantages offered by several CDNs.

Ease of Deployment

Ease of deployment is crucial for faster adoption of WAF across multiple applications.

Some of the critical factors include:

• Deployment Options:

  Determine the available deployment options like cloud-based, on-site, or hybrid, and ensure that a WAF can integrate seamlessly into your existing environment.

• Initial Setup and Configuration:

  Assess the complexity of the initial setup and configuration process. An easy-to-use WAF should have explicit documentation with simple step-by-step guidance.

• User Interface:

  Evaluate the user interface (UI) of the WAF’s management console for its intuitiveness and accessibility.

• Integration with Other Tools:

  Identify if a WAF can integrate conveniently with other security tools such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and CDNs.

• Automation Capabilities:

  Scrutinize WAF’s support for automation like automated threat responses and cooperation with automation tools.

Ongoing Maintenance and Management:

Since threat scenarios constantly change, it’s important to assess how your WAF adapts to new threats.

The following things should be taken into account:

• Customization:

  Evaluate WAF’s flexibility regarding security rules, policies, and settings. It’s important for a WAF to customize rules and settings to align with your company’s unique security needs.

• Updates and Patches:

  Understand how frequently WAF updates and patches its services.

• Support and Documentation:

  Review the quality of WAF’s customer support and documentation, as good support and comprehensive resources can expedite the deployment and management process.

Compatibility with Existing Infrastructure

Ensuring compatibility with your current infrastructure is critical when evaluating WAF.

Important factors for consideration include:

• Configuration and Customization:

  Verify how flexible your WAF is concerning security policies, rules, and configurations. Modshield assures zero false positives by integrating managed services.

• Compliance and Regulatory Requirements:

  If your organization adheres to certain regulations or compliance requirements, Modshield is designed in such a way that it caters to all such norms.

Cost and Licensing

It’s essential to understand how pricing works for cloud-based WAFs like Modshield. Modshield combines a subscription model, pay-as-you-go. Modshield offers three types of subscription plans.

1. Professional
2. Premium
3. Enterprise

Key features include DDoS Mitigation, API Security, and managed services all are inclusive and not billed separately.

Get in touch with us to know more.