What Is The Benefit Of A Web Application Firewall?

Now that you know all about web application firewalls (WAFs), you may be wondering: What is the benefit of a web application firewall?

With so many possible ways to protect your site from attack, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—and natural to wonder whether all these defenses are necessary. Here’s why you should consider including a WAF in your security arsenal.

What Is The Purpose Of A Web Application Firewall?

If you’re in charge of any sensitive data—credit card information, social security numbers, or health or financial records—you’ve likely spent a few late nights thinking about all the scary things that can happen to that information.

Installing a firewall that can analyze traffic for suspicious activity may help set your mind at ease. This additional layer of protection will scan all traffic to your site, securing it against known malicious bots and multiple different attack vectors.

But WAFs don’t just passively monitor activity: they also proactively shore up weaknesses in your web applications. By constantly scanning for vulnerabilities, WAFs often notice weak points long before you do. The best part? Many WAFs can automatically patch the weak point, meaning your team doesn’t have to worry about shifting priorities to immediately resolve the issue.

While the patch isn’t meant to be a long-term solution, it buys you time to fix the vulnerable code without losing sleep over potential breaches.

What Is The Benefit Of A Web Application Firewall?

Now that you understand the purpose of a web application firewall, it’s time to dive into specific benefits. A WAF could prove to be a great long-term investment for your site because it can:

• Prevent attacks, including SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
• Stop customer data from being compromised, preserving confidence—and their patronage
• Ensure compliance with regulations like HIPAA and PCI
• Free up your team’s resources by automatically running security tests and monitoring traffic

Protect Valuable Data With SiteLock

SiteLock takes data protection seriously. If you need help securing your website or are still unsure what is the benefit of a web application firewall, contact our team today to speak with leading security experts.