Meghan Paylor Southern New Hampshire University CYB 310: Network Defense 4/7/2024 Professor Ostering Module Five Activity: Web Application Firewalls 1. Firewall Fundamentals a. Compare the different functions of a web application firewall and a basic firewall. Web application firewalls and network firewalls function differently and therefore protect systems from different types of attacks. While a basic firewall serves as a barrier between internal and external network traffic by creating a secured zone on the network, a WAF specifically protects against web-based attacks by analyzing HTTP communication (Fortinet). A web application firewall filters packets coming from the internet attempting to enter a web application. A basic firewall filters packets moving from an external unsecured network onto the secured network zone created by using firewall policies. b. Identify where a web application firewall and a basic firewall operate in the layers of the OSI model. A web application firewall protects web applications by filtering HTTP traffic between the application and the internet, so it operates on layer 7 of the OSI model or the application layer. A basic firewall handles network level filtering, so it operates at layer 3 or the Network layer (Cloudflare). Some basic firewalls also function in layer 4 or the Transport layer.
c. Discuss the significance of the layers for responding to threats. These two types of firewalls function on different layers of the OSI model and therefore respond to different types of threats. A WAF functions on the application layer and is therefore effective in preventing web based attacks like Injection attacks, broken authentication, or XSS attacks (CISCO, 2023). A traditional firewall functions on the Network layer so is effective to prevent network-based attacks like port scanning and flooding attacks. 2. Layered Security Strategy a. Describe the organizational security needs that would prompt the use of a web application firewall. A WAF can help protect against various web-based attacks by securing traffic between an application and the internet. Some web-based attacks a WAF can help prevent include cross site scripting and SQL injection. A WAF also serves to protect sensitive and valuable information stored on applications. The WAF allows and denies traffic based on security criteria preestablished for the organization. WAFs can also help organizations meet compliance standards depending on the security level expected of the business (CISCO, 2023). b. Discuss how a web application firewall assists with the overall defense in depth strategy of an organization. The addition of a web application firewall into the security architecture of an organization provides an additional layer of defense that can work to protect sensitive and valuable data from web-based threats. 3. CIA Triad
a. Explain how the web application firewall specifically addresses one tenet of the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, and availability). The WAF protects the confidentiality of information stored on web-based applications. Applications often handle various sensitive user information including usernames and passwords and other personal information. WAF prevents unauthorized access to this sensitive information by filtering incoming traffic using various strategies including analyzing HTTP requests for