EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v12Web Application HackingEasy
A web administrator is configuring a new web server and is advised to implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) as part of the security architecture. What is the primary function of a WAF?
- ATo manage user identities and access privileges for the application.
- BTo perform vulnerability scanning on the web application code.
- CTo encrypt all traffic between the client and the server.
- DTo filter, monitor, and block HTTP traffic to and from a web application.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. To filter, monitor, and block HTTP traffic to and from a web application.
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is specifically designed to protect web applications by filtering, monitoring, and blocking malicious HTTP traffic. It operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, inspecting web application traffic for common attacks like SQL injection and XSS.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. User identity and access management (IAM) is handled by separate systems, not a WAF.
- B. Vulnerability scanning is a separate process that identifies flaws, a WAF protects against exploitation of those flaws.
- C. Encryption is primarily handled by SSL/TLS, not a WAF's primary function.
Web Application Firewall (WAF)
A security solution that monitors, filters, and blocks HTTP traffic to and from a web application, protecting against web-based attacks.
- Operates at Layer 7 (Application Layer) of the OSI model.
- Protects against common vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, XSS, and CSRF.
- Can be network-based, host-based, or cloud-based.
Memory trick: WAF is the 'Watchman Against Frauds' for web apps.