Introduction
Web application firewall vendors are relatively new, and as a result, there isn’t an open source project that provides an end-to-end solution. However, open source projects like ufw provide a great overview of many of the current solutions that are available.
The article discusses why these vendors are becoming popular, how they work, and the pros and cons of each.
The advantages of an open-source WAF
An open-source WAF offers a number of advantages, including that your WAF is constantly being developed and updated by the community. The software is made available to all users under the GNU General Public License. This means that you can use it without ever giving up control over your application security. Additionally, open-source WAFs are typically less expensive than commercial ones. And finally, an open-source WAF helps develop a more secure web infrastructure because it shares its development process with other vendors.
Disadvantages of the open source WAF
There are plenty of disadvantages to the open source WAF. For one, they are often not as reliable and secure as their commercial counterparts. Plus, they can be difficult to integrate with existing firewalls.
Despite the many disadvantages, there is still a large demand for open source web application firewalls. When searching for a WAF vendor or considering launching a firewall project, it’s important to research and analyze your options before making any decisions.
ModSecurity Web Application Firewall
ModSecurity is a web application firewall, or software that acts as an extra layer of security for websites and other online applications. The program is open source and highly configurable, meaning that it can be tailored to almost any site’s needs. This means that you have the flexibility to make your own changes to the rules (i.e. filter out certain content) without having to rely on an automated program like CloudFlare. During testing, I had a difficult time getting ModSecurity to work correctly with my web server and eventually had to abandon this attempt in favor of a commercial solution like CloudFlare. However, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option with a lot of customization options, ModSecurity might be worth investigating.
IronBee Web Application Firewall
IronBee Web Application Firewall is an open source web application firewall (WAF). It was originally developed in 2009, and has a free version available to download. Its goal is to help protect websites from common vulnerabilities, such as cross-site scripting attacks. IronBee’s main function is to allow you to easily configure different layers of protection for your website.
IronBee is designed with security in mind. It provides several features that make it easy for businesses to protect their online presence by creating customized rulesets and deploying them quickly. By doing this, they are able to reduce the risks of their websites leaking personal information or being vulnerable to hacking attempts.
NAXSI Web Application Firewall
Naxsis is a web application firewall vendor that powers security for open source applications.
Naxsis enables integration with the following open source projects: Apache, Nginx, and Varnish. It provides a Syslog server and can be configured to be integrated with third-party log aggregation solutions. In addition, it supports multiple web servers (Apache/Nginx) and high availability clustering with load balancing, failover, and auto-recovery. It also has in-built support for intrusion detection and prevention which includes a powerful intrusion detection engine as well as advanced features such as anomaly detection, traffic analysis and behavioral analytics.
WebKnight Web Application Firewall
A web application firewall (WAF) is a software package that works to prevent hackers from gaining access to web applications. They are deployed either in front of or behind the application servers and typically use static analysis to detect attacks, scanning of the traffic for vulnerabilities, detection of malicious content in order to block it and so on.
There is no perfect solution for firewalls because there is no single tool that can mitigate all threats. However, WebKnight Web Application Firewall products are open source and provide features such as intrusion prevention, advanced response actions, integration with your existing system – including logging, intrusion detection/prevention/response and more.
Shadow Daemon Web Application Firewall
The Shadow Daemon Web Application Firewall is a free open source web application firewall that can be installed in Linux or Windows. It provides protection for websites and web applications from an array of attacks. The software does not need to be installed locally on the server, it can also be deployed remotely through a single configuration file that includes all the necessary information.
The biggest advantage of using this product is that it’s free and easy to use, which makes it perfect for small businesses with limited budget.
- #1 Security: The software will provide the protection needed by your business without the need for a dedicated IT team. The software has been designed with security in mind so you don’t have to worry about your website being hacked or attacked by malware while you’re not even using it.
- #2 Speed: The program is quick and easy to set up and configure, which makes using this software ideal for companies who like things simple and easy to use.
- #3 Size: With 1mb of RAM usage overhead, you won’t have too much trouble installing this software on your site because it doesn’t require a lot of resources to function properly.
Are open source WAFs safe?
Open source software is free to download, use and modify. However, it typically comes with the caveat that improvements and bug fixes are shared among the users. This makes open source software preferable for those who would like to contribute to the software’s growth and maintenance. One such example of an open source WAF application is ModSecurity. It is used by major websites such as PayPal.com
The open nature of WAFs also allows them to be easily updated and maintained. This ensures they remain up-to-date and in line with modern web security standards. Open source WAFs are therefore less susceptible to attacks due to their large user base. They can even be used as a learning tool for new employees or those with limited experience in IT management or computer science.
The Final Words
Open source web application firewall (WAF) vendors are becoming increasingly popular.
The reason for their proliferation is that they offer better protection than traditional WAFs. They also offer more options which increase security and responsiveness.
This makes them more cost-effective, as well as more flexible, than other options for companies with larger IT budgets.
If you are not satisfied with the open-source WAF, you can try Wallarm firewall. Unlike the default cloud-based WAFs, Wallarm automates application and API protection without manual configuration or ongoing maintenance investment, allowing the team to focus on other tasks. It’s scalable. It works.