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WEB APPLICATION FIREWALL AND NETWORK FIREWALL EXPLAINED

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WHAT IS A FIREWALL?

A firewall is a network security tool that keeps track of and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic by previously specified security policies for an organization.

A Real-World Example is Windows defender.

USE OF FIREWALL

Any security design must have a firewall because it gives your network security device control over host-level defenses, eliminating the need for guesswork. Firewalls focus on blocking malware and application layer attacks.

LAYERS OF FIREWALL

We'll discuss the Firewall layers starting with the application layer that directly benefits the end user and working our way down to the physical layer.

7. APPLICATION LAYER

Human-Computer Interaction Layer, where applications can access network services.

6. PRESENTATION LAYER

Ensures that the data is in a usable format and data encryption occurs here.

5. SESSION LAYER

Maintains connections and is responsible for controlling ports and sessions.

4. TRANSPORT LAYER

Transmits Data using transmission protocols Incl. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) AND User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

3. NETWORK LAYER

Decides which physical path the data will take place in.

2. DATA LINK LAYER

Defines the format of data on the network.

1. PHYSICAL LAYER

Transmits raw bit stream over the physical medium.

 

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

 

Web Application Firewall targets HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) traffic to secure web applications. A typical firewall separates traffic from the inside and outside of the network. This differs from a standard firewall.

A WAF monitors all HTTP communication in the space between public users and web applications. It finds and prevents harmful requests before it reaches users or online apps. Therefore, WAF protects business-critical web servers and applications from application-layer cyberattacks and zero-day threats. As businesses expand into new digital projects, this becomes more crucial since it can expose new web apps and application programming interfaces (APIs) to threats.

Application-specific traffic is targeted by WAF. It safeguards apps and (HTTP and HTTPS) traffic in network areas that are accessible over the internet. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and SQL injection assaults are protected against thanks to this, which safeguards businesses.

  • Direct denial-of-service: An attempt to disrupt a network, service, or server by overwhelming it with a flood of internet traffic. It aims to exhaust its target's resources and can be difficult to defend as the traffic is not always malicious.
  • SQL injection: A type of injection attack that enables hackers to execute malicious SQL statements, which control the database server behind a web application. This enables attackers to bypass webpage authentication and authorization and retrieve the content of the SQL database, then add, modify, and delete its records. 


Network Firewall




A Network firewall safeguards a secured local area network against unauthorized entry to reduce the possibility of attacks. Its main purpose is to control communication between two zones by dividing them into safe and less secure areas. Without it, every computer that has a public Internet Protocol (IP) address is reachable from outside the network and might potentially be attacked.

Standard network firewalls reduce or stop illegal access to private networks. Any additional attempts to get access are prohibited by firewall regulations that specify the traffic that may enter the network. Unauthorized users and attacks from people or devices in less secure zones are two examples of network traffic this help to stop.

There are several types of attacks:

  • Unauthorized access: Attackers accessing a network without permission. This is commonly achieved through credential theft and compromised accounts as a result of people using weak passwords, social engineering, and insider threats.
  • Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks: Attackers intercept traffic either between the network and external sites or within the network itself. This is often a result of insecure communication protocols enabling attackers to steal data in transmission, then obtain user credentials and hijack user accounts. 
Reference: https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/waf-vs-firewall

Hope you all got an idea of the ancient firewall system… Keep exploring!


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