Web application Attacks are on the rise. In 2018, almost 90% of web applications were attacked. The majority of website attacks come from applications, not from the websites.
WAF stands for Web Application Firewall. It is a security mechanism that protects a website from attackers trying to break into it. They are called Web Application Firewalls because they work by separating the different applications on a server so that malicious traffic cannot penetrate one application and attack the others.
These security mechanisms cost money. Depending on the level of security needed, the price of a WAF can vary from $100 per device per year to several thousands of dollars per device. To help you understand how WAF pricing works, we’ve outlined the most common categories of WAF pricing below.
What are the Different Types of WAF?
There are many different types of WAFs, from the cheapest category, which costs $100 per device per year, to the most expensive category, which costs millions of dollars, and can be custom built for your business. In this article, we’ll be looking at the most common types of WAF pricing and what they mean.
There are two main categories of WAF pricing:
- Installation and Upfront Costs
The upfront cost of a WAF includes the hardware, installation, and any software licenses you need to run the WAF.
These costs are generally based on the type of hardware you choose and the number of users you need to protect.
If you need to protect a large number of users and each user makes a high volume of traffic, the costs can quickly add up.
2. Ongoing Costs
The ongoing costs of a WAF are the hardware you’ll need to run your WAF and the costs of licences for the software your WAF uses.
The WAF software licence is usually for an Enterprise license. Enterprise licenses are usually cheaper than Standard licenses and can give you more functionality.
The hardware you’ll need to run a WAF varies greatly from device to device. While some hardware is provided by the Cloud WAF provider, you may also choose to purchase your own hardware and configure it specifically for WAFs.
The cost of the hardware you choose will depend on your business needs.
3. Discounts for Reselling
Cloud WAF providers often offer discounts for reselling your WAF.
Some Cloud WAF providers also offer a WAF Reseller program, which allows you to sign up as a reseller and provide WAF services to your customers.
Cloud WAF providers often offer volume discounts on hardware and/or software licences to resellers.
If you’re already reselling Cloud WAF, you can save a lot of money reselling your use of WAF services.
The WAF reselling process is often time-consuming and requires a significant amount of attention. You will need to register your customers as resellers in your platform and send them licenses for their accounts.
Summing up
In this article, we’ve outlined the most common types of WAF pricing and what they mean. We’ve also included some tips on how to negotiate lower prices with your Cloud WAF provider.
There are many factors that can affect your costs when using a WAF. These factors include the number of users on your site, the source and destination IP addresses of their traffic, the volume of traffic, the WAF type you choose, and more.
Below are a few tips on how you can reduce your costs.
- Choose a Cloud WAF provider that offers discounts for reselling your WAF services.
- Choose a Cloud WAF provider that offers free accounts.
- Try to use internal servers and applications when possible, instead of relying on external services.
- Reduce your user-base by implementing a signup-retention strategy.
These are just a few ways you can cut down on costs when protecting your website with a WAF. We hope this guide will help you price your work correctly and get the most out of your WAF.