FortiWeb (Malaysia)

FortiWeb is a web application firewall solution that offers a range of services to protect web applications from various web-based threats. Here are some of the services offered by FortiWeb:

1. Web Application Firewall: A vital service that stops unwanted traffic and shields users from assaults like SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
2. Bot Mitigation: Detects and blocks suspicious activities to defend against automated bot assaults.
3. Vulnerability Scanner: Scans web applications for vulnerabilities and recommends remediation actions.
4. Sandbox Integration: Provides advanced threat protection by analyzing traffic in a virtual sandbox environment.
5. SSL/TLS Offloading: Inspects encrypted traffic for threats without impacting performance.
6. Advanced Analytics and Reporting: Provides detailed reports and threat analytics to help administrators monitor and manage their web application security posture.

While both WAFs and firewalls are cybersecurity solutions, they have some critical differences.

A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing traffic based on predetermined security rules. It typically protects against attacks that come from the network and is focused on the transport layer (Layer 4) and network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model. The function of firewall is to control traffic based on IP addresses, port numbers, and protocols, and they often use stateful packet inspection to analyze network traffic.

A WAF, on the other hand, protects hosted web applications from attacks that exploit known and unknown vulnerabilities in the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model. It is specifically tailored to defend against web-based and other application-layer attacks. WAFs analyze web traffic in real-time and use a set of rules to identify and block malicious traffic.

In summary, while firewalls protect the entire network from network-based attacks, WAFs protect specific web applications from web-based attacks targeting the application layer.

WAFs can be either hardware-based or software-based.

Hardware-based WAFs are typically specialized network security devices that are designed to handle high volumes of web traffic. They are installed inline between the web server and the internet and are typically deployed in a load-balanced configuration to handle high traffic loads. Hardware-based WAFs are generally more expensive but can offer better performance and scalability.

Software-based WAFs, on the other hand, are installed on the web server or as a software module in a reverse proxy server. They run on standard server hardware and can be deployed as a virtual machine. Software-based WAFs are generally less expensive and easier to deploy, but they may have performance limitations and may not be suitable for high-traffic environments.

Both hardware-based and software-based WAFs have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice between them will depend on the specific needs and requirements of the organization.