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Web Security 2026-01-20 · 5 min read

What Is a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Do You Need One?

A Web Application Firewall sits between visitors and your website, inspecting each request and blocking patterns associated with attacks — SQL injection, XSS, path traversal and automated bot abuse — before they reach your application.

What a WAF does well

  • Blocks common injection and exploit patterns.
  • Provides virtual patching — shielding a known vulnerability while you deploy a real fix.
  • Rate-limits abusive clients and mitigates layer-7 DDoS.

What it does not replace

A WAF is a layer, not a cure. It cannot fix insecure code, weak authentication or exposed secrets. Treat it as defence-in-depth alongside secure development, patching and good configuration.

Options

Cloud WAFs (Cloudflare, AWS WAF, Akamai) are the easiest to adopt — you change DNS and configure rules in a dashboard. Many include free tiers suitable for small sites. A web scan can detect whether a site is already behind a recognised WAF.

Put this into practice
Run a free, private scan — no login, nothing stored.
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