AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) is a managed security service that protects websites and applications from common attack patterns before they reach your servers. It operates at the edge and network level, filtering malicious traffic early and reducing risk, load, and cost across your infrastructure.
How AWS WAF Protects Your Platform
AWS WAF sits in front of your applications (typically integrated with CloudFront, Application Load Balancers, or API Gateway) and inspects incoming requests in real time. It blocks or challenges traffic based on defined rules before it can interact with your application or database.
Key protection areas include:
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Intrusion prevention – Blocks common exploits such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), malicious bots, and protocol abuse.
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DDoS mitigation – Works in conjunction with AWS Shield to absorb and filter volumetric attacks, preventing traffic floods from overwhelming your site.
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Network-level filtering – Stops known bad IPs, suspicious geographies, malformed requests, and abusive traffic patterns at the perimeter.
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Bot control – Identifies and limits scraping, credential stuffing, and automated abuse while allowing legitimate users through.
Rule Sets and Control
AWS WAF uses a combination of managed rule groups and custom rules:
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Managed rule sets maintained by AWS and trusted security vendors, continuously updated to defend against emerging threats.
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Custom rules tailored to your application, such as rate limits, IP allow/deny lists, country-based restrictions, or protection for sensitive endpoints.
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Layered logic that allows rules to be evaluated in sequence, enabling fine-grained control without impacting normal user behaviour.
Rules can be set to block, allow, count, or challenge, giving visibility before enforcement and reducing false positives.
Key Benefits
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Reduces security risk without application changes
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Stops attacks before they hit your servers or databases
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Scales automatically with traffic spikes and attack volume
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Lowers operational load and infrastructure costs
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Centralised visibility and logging for auditing and analysis
What Audienceware Does
Audienceware designs, implements, and manages AWS WAF as part of a broader secure, performance-focused platform architecture.
We:
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Deploy AWS WAF at the correct integration point (CloudFront, ALB, or API)
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Select and tune managed rule sets based on real-world traffic patterns
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Create custom rules aligned to your application behaviour
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Implement safe roll-out using “count” mode before enforcement
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Monitor logs, adjust thresholds, and respond to evolving threats
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Align WAF configuration with performance, analytics, and compliance requirements
The result is strong, proactive protection that runs quietly in the background—blocking attacks, preserving uptime, and letting your digital platforms focus on engagement, growth, and delivery.