We use the solution as a firewall to protect the network from malicious requests.
Software Engineer at Readyly
Allows us to set up security rules and has a good scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The solution's initial setup process is easy."
- "The solution could be more reliable."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The solution helps our organization to comply with our security standards.
What is most valuable?
The solution allows us to set up rules for blocking malicious requests. We can configure a pool of such sources and choose what to do (allow/block/count) when a request comes from them.
What needs improvement?
The solution can include provisions to block requests targeted at specific URIs (/.env) which are obviously malicious. Also, sometimes it blocks legitimate requests. We have to keep changing some of our rules in this case. It would be great if they maintained the AWS-managed rule sets properly.
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December 2024
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For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using the solution for the last eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. Although sometimes even legitimate requests fail.
I rate its stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. We have two users in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The solution's initial setup process is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I advise others to set their security principles while building the software itself, as WAF is not entirely reliable. I rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Manager, IT Infrastructure & Information Security at flyadeal
Provides good OWASP top 10 protection but needs improvement in security efficiency related to bad bots
Pros and Cons
- "The security firewall plus the features that protect against database injections or scripting,"
- "For now, there is no feature to protect against attack of the bad bots"
What is our primary use case?
I'm a manager and in charge of IT infrastructure and information security for an airline company. We're a customer of AWS WAF. We use the product to protect the websites that our customers access to book flights. It provides the sites with DDoS protection and OWASP top 10 application security.
What is most valuable?
The best features are the security firewall and the features that protect against database injections or scripting, and against overall OWASP top 10, but I have concerns about the cloud front which doesn't handle bot attacks properly, so it's not as effective as I would like it to be.
What needs improvement?
A significant improvement would be built in bots protection enhancement, or seamless integration with other products. For now, there are limited feature to protect against an attack from the bad bots so users go to third party solutions, which just complicates integration and operation.
A helpful additional feature would be to have a fully unified unique product, including the DDoS, with sophisticated attack capabilities including anti bot management. They should also take a look at reviewing the complexity of the integration with other third-party vendor solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the product for the last two years. We upgraded recently and I'm using the latest version.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
Deployment is easy, it's not complex.The complexity is when you need it for integration with other third-party products. We also use CDN, part of the web solution from Amazon.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of the product is fair enough and one of the product's advantages. Their price is good compared to other vendors.
What other advice do I have?
The main difference with other similar products is the security efficiency against the type of attacks because normally Amazon works with certain types of attacks and is unable to deal with most of the more sophisticated new attacks that are now the market. So if you compare AWS WAF to the leaders in the field like Imperva, Akamai or radware, they are still beyond these products.
I would recommend that if you don't have a critical heavy use website, and you have a simple business that doesn't require high protection or high-security efficiency, go with this product, but if you have something where security is critical you should go with the leaders in the market, companies like Akamai, Radware, PerimeterX or Imperva.
I would rate this product a seven out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
AWS WAF
December 2024
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Jefe subdepartamento Operaciones at a government with 10,001+ employees
Reasonably priced, stable, and offers excellent performance
Pros and Cons
- "Their technical support has been quite good."
- "We haven't faced any problems with the solution."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution as a gateway service and a transaction portal.
What is most valuable?
We haven't had any issues with the solution so far.
The pricing of the product is very good. They make it very reasonable and it's very easy to afford.
Their technical support has been quite good.
The performance is excellent. It's reliable.
We've found the solution to be quite stable.
What needs improvement?
We haven't faced any problems with the solution. I can't speak to any missing features. Every aspect of it has been quite good.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been very good. We've enjoyed a very reliable performance. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's been good.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support has been quite good. We've found them helpful and responsive. We are quite satisfied with the level of support that is provided to us.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is very reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
I'm just a customer and an end-user. I don't have a business relationship or partnership with AWS.
I have pretty good experience in AWS. I have a certificate in AWS.
I'd rate the solution at a ten out of ten. We've been extremely satisfied with the solution.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Advisory and IT Transformation Consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
A straightforward setup with a quick deployment with good auto-management features
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup was very straightforward. Deployment took about ten minutes or less."
- "They should work to define more threats, add more security, and make it more compliant with more security companies."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use of the solution is for perimeter security. I use it to secure my application and infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
Fast deployment and auto-manage are the most valuable aspects of the solution. The auto-manage primarily reacts and has to do all the little things like putting in the ACL, etc.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be faster in detecting threats.
They should work to define more threats, add more security, and make it more compliant with more security companies.
The solution could always be more automated.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is easily scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have a number for WAF, but I've never used technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously used a different solution. The complex setup and installation were the main differences between that and WAF. I've worked with system compliance for many years, and it usually involves complex solutions. You have to know the CLF, etc. Cisco, for example, is so complex that you need to know many things. Whereas with WAF, you have to put up your host, your network, and you have the solution up and running.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was very straightforward. Deployment took about ten minutes or less. You only need one person to handle deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented the solution myself.
What other advice do I have?
We use the public cloud deployment model.
I use everything AWS. I need it to work for me, and it does. I hope that the solution continues to improve, but for me, it's perfect right now.
For those considering implementing the solution, I would advise that they understand how networks work because sometimes they can be quite complex. Many architects do not understand the basic concepts of networking.
I would recommend the solution. I would rate it nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
AWS Security Specialist at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Helps to protect internet system applications
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of the solution is the ability to integrate central sets. It protects from intrusion attacks such as scripting and SQL injections."
- "We should be able to do proper whitelisting."
What is our primary use case?
We use AWS WAF to protect internet system applications.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of the solution is the ability to integrate central sets. It protects from intrusion attacks such as scripting and SQL injections.
What needs improvement?
We should be able to do proper whitelisting.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with the solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
AWS WAF is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
My company has more than 10,000 users. The tool is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
AWS WAF's tech support is not complicated.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
AWS WAF's deployment is easy.
What was our ROI?
We have seen ROI with the tool's use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
AWS WAF has reasonable pricing.
What other advice do I have?
You need to consider the use cases before implementing the solution. I rate it a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Infrastructure Engineer
Useful for protecting against unauthorized access and data breaches but very expensive
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the capability to limit access based on geographical location by restricting specific IP addresses."
- "I would like to see the addition of more advanced rate-limiting features in the next release. It would be beneficial to extend rate limiting beyond just web servers to the main node level."
What is our primary use case?
We use the AWS platform to implement custom security rules based on our company's SOP. We apply custom rules to protect specific APIs and specific endpoint URLs. This allows us to tailor our security measures to our specific needs and requirements.
How has it helped my organization?
AWS WAF has improved our organization by allowing us to restrict access to our services based on location, which means that only customers from specific locations can access our services. It helps protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the capability to limit access based on geographical location by restricting specific IP addresses.
What needs improvement?
In terms of improvement, AWS WAF works perfectly fine right now. I would like to see the addition of more advanced rate-limiting features in the next release. It would be beneficial to extend rate limiting beyond just web servers to the main node level.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using AWS WAF for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability of the solution an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of AWS WAF an eight out of ten. All requests, about 100,000 per month, go through the AWS App, ensuring the entire infrastructure is compliant with it. We use it 24/7.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is slow to respond, and it's a paid service. I wouldn't recommend relying on it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was simple and I did it myself. I would rate it an eight out of ten in terms of easiness. The deployment was in-house and it took five to ten minutes. It is mostly automated so it did not require much manual assistance. If errors or failures occur, reports are generated and shared with the relevant team for resolution. The deployment process involved specifying endpoint URLs in the web test code to enable automatic integration and we had to wait a little due to cooling time on the web test board.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution is really expensive. I would give it a ten out of ten in terms of costliness. You have to pay additionally for data transfer.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise someone considering AWS WAF to start with testing on AWS but be cautious of data transfer costs, especially if the project is longer than four months because that is when the additional cost appears. You should assess if it's suitable for your specific use case and make sure to test it before committing to avoid unexpected expenses when moving to the cloud. Overall, I would rate the solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Helps to implement response recovery procedures
Pros and Cons
- "One common use case is using detection protection for enhancing security models in AWS. Another use case is implementing log analysis and response recovery procedures for email services."
- "I believe there is a need to move towards real-time analysis with the help of AI and intelligent systems in the future. This would reduce the reliance on manual work and enhance the functionality of detection protection. By incorporating AI-driven data analysis and data science techniques, we can improve the solution's user-friendliness, security compatibility, and accuracy."
What is our primary use case?
One common use case is using detection protection for enhancing security models in AWS. Another use case is implementing log analysis and response recovery procedures for email services.
What needs improvement?
I believe there is a need to move towards real-time analysis with the help of AI and intelligent systems in the future. This would reduce the reliance on manual work and enhance the functionality of detection protection. By incorporating AI-driven data analysis and data science techniques, we can improve the solution's user-friendliness, security compatibility, and accuracy.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for almost a decade.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
AWS WAF is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house engineers implemented the solution. They are already familiar with AWS and hold AWS certifications.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Regional Security Team Lead at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Stable web application firewall used to protect against common vulnerabilities with a powerful CDN component
Pros and Cons
- "The simple configuration and the scalability have been most valuable. We are able to scale across all of our different AWS instances."
- "This solution could be improved if the configuration steps were more specific to WAF, compared to other cloud services."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution to protect our web applications against common vulnerabilities. The CDN component is also quite powerful. We use this solution alongside Azure WAF.
What is most valuable?
The simple configuration and the scalability have been most valuable. We are able to scale across all of our different AWS instances.
What needs improvement?
This solution could be improved if the configuration steps were more specific to WAF, compared to other cloud services.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution. We rely on AWS's other cloud services and we've never experienced any stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
Our support experience has been quite good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The main reason we switched from using CloudFlare to AWS is to have a native offering because all of our cloud solutions are on AWS. This made it simpler compared to using a third party and easier to reroute traffic.
How was the initial setup?
It depends on your AWS configuration, but what we've experienced is that the rule policy configuration is really straightforward. It took a couple of weeks.
What about the implementation team?
We had in-house expertise.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a medium amount of traffic per month and the cost is in the hundreds rather than in the thousands. I don't know the exact number.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise others to ensure they understand what can be done internally and then what you need expertise for externally. If you have the expertise internally, it can be easily configured. Keep the SIEM configuration as simple as possible, rather than trying to modify and configure too many things.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Updated: December 2024
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