AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) and AWS Shield are two distinct services provided by AWS to enhance the security of web applications and protect against different types of threats. Here’s a detailed comparison of AWS WAF and AWS Shield:
AWS WAF vs AWS Shield
Table of Contents
AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Description:
AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits and vulnerabilities. It allows users to create security rules that control the traffic reaching their applications.
Key Features:
- Rule-based Filtering: Allows you to define rules to filter web traffic based on IP addresses, HTTP headers, HTTP body, or URI strings.
- Customizable Rules: Users can create custom rules to block or allow specific requests.
- Managed Rules: Provides pre-configured rules managed by AWS or AWS Marketplace sellers to protect against common threats like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).
- Rate Limiting: Helps protect against DDoS attacks by limiting the number of requests from a single IP address.
- Real-time Visibility: Offers real-time monitoring and automatic response to threats.
- Integration: Integrates with Amazon CloudFront, Application Load Balancer (ALB), and API Gateway for protecting web applications.
Use Cases:
- Protecting web applications from common web exploits.
- Customizing security rules for specific application requirements.
- Rate limiting to mitigate DDoS attacks.
- Enhancing security posture with managed rule sets.
AWS Shield
Description:
AWS Shield is a managed Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection service that safeguards applications running on AWS. It comes in two tiers: AWS Shield Standard and AWS Shield Advanced.
Key Features:
- AWS Shield Standard: Automatically included with AWS services at no extra cost, providing protection against the most common, most frequently occurring DDoS attacks.
- AWS Shield Advanced: Provides enhanced protection against more sophisticated and larger DDoS attacks, with additional features and benefits.
- DDoS Cost Protection: Financial protection against DDoS-related scaling charges.
- 24/7 Access to the AWS DDoS Response Team (DRT): Expert support for mitigating attacks.
- Advanced Threat Detection and Mitigation: Sophisticated detection and mitigation techniques.
- Near Real-Time Metrics and Attack Diagnostics: Detailed information about DDoS attacks and associated costs.
Use Cases:
- Protecting applications from DDoS attacks.
- Receiving expert support for handling complex and large-scale DDoS attacks.
- Gaining financial protection against DDoS attack-related costs.
- Enhancing visibility and insight into DDoS threats.
Comparison Summary of AWS WAF vs AWS Shield
| Feature | AWS WAF | AWS Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Function | Web application firewall to filter and block web exploits | DDoS protection service to defend against DDoS attacks |
| Protection Focus | Web application attacks (e.g., SQL injection, XSS) | DDoS attacks (both common and sophisticated) |
| Rule Customization | Highly customizable rules | N/A |
| Managed Rules | Available | N/A |
| Rate Limiting | Yes | Basic rate limiting features |
| Threat Visibility | Real-time visibility and monitoring | Near real-time metrics and attack diagnostics (Advanced) |
| Financial Protection | No | Yes (Shield Advanced) |
| 24/7 Expert Support | No | Yes (Shield Advanced) |
| Integration | CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway | Directly integrates with AWS infrastructure |
| Cost | Based on rules and web ACLs | Shield Standard (included), Shield Advanced (premium) |
Summary
- AWS WAF: Best suited for protecting web applications from common web exploits by allowing fine-grained control over the types of traffic that can reach your application. Ideal for users needing customizable security rules and real-time monitoring of web threats.
- AWS Shield: Focuses on providing comprehensive DDoS protection. AWS Shield Standard offers baseline protection for free, while Shield Advanced provides enhanced features, expert support, and financial safeguards against large-scale DDoS attacks. Ideal for users needing robust DDoS protection with additional support and cost protection.
Using both services together can provide comprehensive protection for your web applications, combining the detailed rule-based filtering of AWS WAF with the powerful DDoS mitigation capabilities of AWS Shield.
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