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Difference between AWS WAF and AWS Network Firewall?

AWS WAF vs AWS Network Firewall: Explore their strengths and weaknesses, different use cases, and find out which is better.

AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) and AWS Network Firewall are both network security services that protect your AWS resources from malicious traffic. However, they have different strengths and weaknesses, and are best suited for different use cases. I took the diagram from AWS documentation.

AWS WAF :

AWS WAF is a cloud-based web application firewall that protects against common web exploits, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. It operates at the application layer (layer 7 of the OSI model), which means it can inspect HTTP and HTTPS traffic and block malicious requests. AWS WAF is a good choice for protecting web applications that are exposed to the internet.

AWS WAF helps you protect against common web exploits and bots that can affect availability, compromise security, or consume excessive resources.

AWS Network Firewall :

AWS Network Firewall is a managed, stateful firewall that provides protection for all types of network traffic, including web traffic, database traffic, and streaming traffic. It operates at the network layer (layer 3 of the OSI model), which means it can inspect IP packets and block malicious traffic based on source and destination IP addresses, ports, and protocols. AWS Network Firewall is a good choice for protecting a wide range of AWS resources, including web applications, databases, and servers.

With AWS Network Firewall, you can define firewall rules that provide fine-grained control over network traffic. Network Firewall works together with AWS Firewall Manager so you can build policies based on Network Firewall rules and then centrally apply those policies across your virtual private clouds (VPCs) and accounts.

Here is a table summarizing the key differences between AWS WAF and AWS Network Firewall:

In general, AWS WAF is a good choice for protecting web applications, while AWS Network Firewall is a good choice for protecting a wider range of AWS resources. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs.

Here are some additional considerations when choosing between AWS WAF and AWS Network Firewall:

Complexity: AWS WAF is a more complex service than AWS Network Firewall. It requires more configuration and maintenance, and it can be more difficult to troubleshoot.

Cost: AWS WAF is a more expensive service than AWS Network Firewall. You pay for each rule that you create, and you also pay for the amount of traffic that your rules inspect.

Performance: AWS WAF can have a negative impact on the performance of your web applications. This is because AWS WAF inspects every HTTP and HTTPS request that is sent to your application.

Rules: AWS WAF uses rules to define what traffic is allowed or denied. These rules can be based on a variety of criteria, such as the source IP address, the destination IP address, the HTTP method, and the URL path. AWS Network Firewall uses rule groups to define what traffic is allowed or denied. These rule groups can be based on a variety of criteria, such as the source and destination IP addresses, the ports, and the protocols.

Scalability: AWS WAF is designed to scale with your traffic. As your traffic increases, AWS WAF will automatically add more capacity to handle it. AWS Network Firewall is also designed to scale with your traffic, but it does so in a different way. AWS Network Firewall uses a distributed architecture, which means that it can spread your traffic across multiple servers. This helps to improve performance and reliability.

Deployment: AWS WAF can be deployed in a variety of ways. You can deploy it on-premises, in a virtual private cloud (VPC), or in a hybrid environment. AWS Network Firewall is only available in VPCs.

Conclusion:

AWS WAF is a powerful tool that can help you protect your web applications from malicious traffic. It is a versatile service that can be deployed on a variety of AWS services and can be customized to meet your specific needs. If you are looking for a way to secure your web applications, AWS WAF is a great option to consider.

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