Security, Identity, and Compliance
CoreAWS WAF
Layer 7 web request filtering for supported resources using rules, managed rule groups, rate controls, and bot or fraud protections.
Key points
- WAF inspects HTTP/S request attributes and can block patterns such as injection or abusive requests.
- Deploy at CloudFront, ALB, API Gateway, or other supported boundaries according to the application path.
- Rules need tuning and observability to avoid false positives and bypass paths.
Best-known use cases
- Block SQL injection and malicious web patterns.
- Rate-limit or filter bots at a supported web entry point.
What candidates often confuse it with
- WAF filters application requests; Shield mitigates DDoS and Network Firewall inspects VPC traffic.
- WAF protects supported web endpoints; security groups control network reachability.
Key takeaway
Choose WAF when the threat is expressed in HTTP request content or rate at a supported application boundary.
Related services
- AWS Shield
- Amazon CloudFront
- Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)
- AWS Firewall Manager
Relevant exam tasks
- D1.2