ANSSI reports that the number of reported intrusions will increase by 37% by 2021. Given this figure, web application security must become your priority.
Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) protect web applications against a range of threats. However, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a new era of cybersecurity is emerging, promising even higher levels of protection.
This article explores how the synergy between WAF and AI offers superior protection for your web applications, ensuring not only the security, but also the reliability and efficiency of your web resources.
What is a WAF?
A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a security system that protects web applications by filtering, monitoring and blocking malicious HTTP requests. Unlike traditional firewalls, WAFs are specifically designed to secure web applications by analysing traffic for anomalous behaviour or attack signatures.
The main features of a WAF
At the heart of a WAF’s capabilities, HTTP request filtering stands out as an essential first line of defence. Not only does it intercept incoming requests, it also subjects them to in-depth analysis to detect potential threats such as SQL injections or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. This functionality is the first line of defence against cyber-attacks, guaranteeing proactive protection for the web application.
At the same time, continuous traffic monitoring ensures constant surveillance of incoming and outgoing activity on the web application. This real-time monitoring enables suspicious behaviour patterns, ongoing attacks and intrusion attempts to be identified quickly. By acting as an early warning system, this feature enables a proactive and effective response to emerging threats.
There is also threat blocking, which is an immediate and essential WAF action. Thanks to this capability, the WAF can block malicious requests before they even reach the web application. By acting as a proactive protective barrier, the WAF positions itself as a vigilant guardian, protecting against a multitude of potential attacks, including intrusion attempts, Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and vulnerability exploits.
A WAF can block a multitude of threats such as SQL injections, command injection attacks, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, session attacks, leaks of sensitive information, as well as social engineering attempts, ensuring the security of web applications against a variety of cyber attacks.
Artificial Intelligence in Cybersecurity
AI embodies a new proactive and adaptive approach to protecting data and systems against malicious attacks.
Using machine learning models, AI is able to analyse the behaviour of users and web applications in depth.
This capability enables it to proactively detect anomalies and suspicious behaviour, even those that escape traditional detection methods. So instead of focusing solely on recognising known patterns, AI is able to identify unknown attacks, such as zero-day exploits, before they can cause any damage.
What’s more, AI offers remarkable flexibility and adaptability in the management of cybersecurity defences. By analysing traffic data in real time and assessing potential risks, it can dynamically adjust security strategies to respond to emerging threats. For example, using techniques such as Smart Rate Limiting (SRL), AI can place intelligent restrictions on suspicious requests, protecting web applications from brute force attacks and intrusion attempts.
Fonctionnalités Clés d’un WAF Alimenté par l’IA
The introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into cyber security has unlocked powerful new capabilities. When combined with a Web Application Firewall (WAF), AI offers advanced capabilities to analyse user behaviour and resolve performance issues, while identifying anomalous behaviour and potential threats with great accuracy.
Behavioural Analysis
Behavioural analysis is used to model ideal web application behaviour. Using sophisticated algorithms, the AI continually learns from legitimate traffic and creates a profile of normal behaviour. Any deviation from this model is immediately considered suspicious, helping to identify and block threats before they cause damage. This proactive approach can detect complex and evolving threats that traditional methods might miss.
Zero Rules and No False Positives
The Zero Rules concept relies on AI to dynamically adjust security rules based on observed behaviour. Unlike traditional systems that require regular rule updates, an AI-powered WAF can adapt its defences in real time. This significantly reduces false positives, as AI accurately distinguishes malicious activity from legitimate behaviour, ensuring optimal protection without constant human intervention.
Zero-day protection
Zero-day attacks exploit unknown and unpatched vulnerabilities. Using AI, WAFs can defend against these threats by refusing all traffic that does not conform to the application’s normal behaviour model. By analysing traffic patterns in real time and comparing observed behaviour with reference models, AI is able to detect and block previously unidentified exploits, providing an additional layer of protection against the most sophisticated attacks.
API protection
APIs are often the target of cyber attacks because of their crucial role in communication between systems. Smart Rate Limiting (SRL) technology uses AI to protect APIs against brute force attacks and other threats. By intelligently limiting the rate of suspicious requests, the WAF can prevent abuse and maintain the availability of API services. This protection is essential to guarantee the integrity and performance of modern applications that rely heavily on APIs.
Advantages of combining WAF and IA
Performance and speed
One of the main advantages of combining WAF and AI is the speed with which requests are analysed. The solution provides an analysis in less than 5 milliseconds, ensuring that security does not impact on application performance. This speed is crucial to maintaining a fluid and fast user experience, even during periods of high traffic. By optimising data flows, the solution not only improves security but also the overall efficiency of web applications.
Ease of use
The integration of AI makes WAFs incredibly easy to use. It completely eliminates the need to configure complex security rules. Instead, AI dynamically adjusts security parameters based on observed behaviour and usage patterns.
This automation means that even teams with little experience of cybersecurity can effectively manage the security of their web applications. Administrators can focus on more strategic tasks, while being confident that their application is optimally protected without manual intervention. By reducing the operational burden and minimising human error, AI makes security management not only more efficient but also much less laborious.
RGPD Compliance and Regulatory Security
An AI-powered WAF ensures that data is processed and stored in compliance with local and international laws, offering peace of mind to businesses concerned about regulatory compliance. By harnessing the advanced analysis capabilities of AI, the WAF can detect and respond to threats while complying with the strict confidentiality rules imposed by the RGPD.
Turning to a French WAF 🇫🇷 or a European WAF is a wise decision to ensure optimum compliance with the RGPD. These solutions are designed with European regulatory standards in mind and undergo regular audits to ensure compliance. By choosing a European WAF powered by AI, businesses can strengthen their protection of personal data while remaining compliant with current privacy regulations.
Conclusion
The combination of WAF and AI offers advanced and adaptable security for web applications. By using AI to analyse behaviour and adjust defences, this new generation of WAFs strengthens protection against sophisticated cyber attacks. In addition, the integration of AI makes WAFs more accessible and easier to use, allowing teams to focus on strategic aspects of security.
What’s more, when it comes to regulatory compliance, opting for a French WAF 🇫🇷, and therefore sovereign, powered by AI is a good decision to be up to standards. This approach is specifically designed to ensure strict compliance with RGPD regulations. By choosing French products 🇫🇷, you can not only strengthen your security, but also ensure optimum compliance with current laws and regulations.