AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall)

AWS Web Application Firewall (AWS WAF) is a managed security service that helps protect web applications and APIs from common attacks such as: ✔ SQL Injection (SQLi) ✔ Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) ✔ DDoS Attacks ✔ Bot Traffic & Credential Stuffing ✔ Malicious IPs & Automated Threats

SecureCart uses AWS WAF to enhance security for its e-commerce website, APIs, and content delivery.

---

📌 SecureCart’s AWS WAF Implementation Goals

🔹 Protect SecureCart’s user data & transactions from cyber threats. 🔹 Prevent unauthorized scraping of product catalog & customer data. 🔹 Block malicious bot traffic from automated attacks. 🔹 Ensure high availability by mitigating DDoS attacks. 🔹 Secure APIs from unauthorized access & abuse.

---

📌 AWS WAF Key Features

Feature	Description
Web ACLs (Access Control Lists)	Define security rules to allow, block, or monitor traffic.
Managed Rule Groups	Preconfigured AWS & third-party rules for common threats.
Rate-Based Rules	Throttle excessive requests to prevent bot attacks.
IP Set Rules	Block/Allow specific IPs or CIDR ranges.
Regex Pattern Sets	Match patterns in headers, URLs, and query parameters.
Geo Match Rules	Block/Allow requests based on geographic location.
Bot Control	Detects & mitigates bot-generated traffic.
Logging & Monitoring	Sends logs to CloudWatch, S3, or Kinesis for analysis.

---

📌 SecureCart Use Cases for AWS WAF

1️⃣ Securing SecureCart’s E-Commerce Website (ALB)

📌 Scenario: SecureCart’s customers access the shopping site via an Application Load Balancer (ALB). The site is vulnerable to SQL Injection, XSS, and brute-force login attacks.

✔ AWS WAF Solution: 🔹 Attach AWS WAF Web ACL to the ALB. 🔹 Enable AWS Managed Rules for SQL Injection & XSS Protection. 🔹 Implement Rate-Based Rules to block repeated login attempts from the same IP. 🔹 Use Geo Match Rules to block traffic from restricted regions.

✅ Outcome: ✔ SQL Injection & XSS attacks are blocked before they reach the backend. ✔ Brute-force login attempts are mitigated with rate-based limiting. ✔ Unwanted traffic from high-risk regions is restricted.

---

2️⃣ Protecting SecureCart’s API Gateway

📌 Scenario: SecureCart’s mobile app and partner integrations rely on Amazon API Gateway for accessing customer orders, payment processing, and user authentication. Attackers might attempt API abuse, credential stuffing, and unauthorized access.

✔ AWS WAF Solution: 🔹 Attach AWS WAF Web ACL to API Gateway. 🔹 Use IP Set Rules to allow access only from trusted partners. 🔹 Implement Rate-Based Rules to prevent excessive API requests from abusive clients. 🔹 Use Token Validation Rules to block unauthorized API calls.

✅ Outcome: ✔ SecureCart’s API is protected from abuse & excessive requests. ✔ Only trusted clients can interact with SecureCart’s APIs.

---

3️⃣ Preventing Content Theft on SecureCart’s CloudFront CDN

📌 Scenario: SecureCart uses Amazon CloudFront to serve product images, videos, and customer reviews globally. The company wants to prevent unauthorized content scraping and malicious bot traffic.

✔ AWS WAF Solution: 🔹 Attach AWS WAF Web ACL to CloudFront Distribution. 🔹 Use AWS WAF Bot Control to detect & block automated bot traffic. 🔹 Implement Rate-Based Rules to throttle excessive image requests. 🔹 Use Geo Match Rules to block access from unauthorized regions.

✅ Outcome: ✔ Content scraping is blocked without affecting real users. ✔ CloudFront resources are protected from bot attacks.

---

📌 AWS WAF Deployment Architecture for SecureCart

AWS WAF sits in front of AWS services like: ✔ Amazon CloudFront → Protects SecureCart’s content delivery. ✔ Application Load Balancer (ALB) → Secures SecureCart’s web application. ✔ Amazon API Gateway → Filters API requests before reaching backend services.

SecureCart AWS WAF Traffic Flow

1️⃣ User requests SecureCart resources (web app, API, or media). 2️⃣ AWS WAF Web ACL evaluates the request. 3️⃣ If the request matches a security rule, it is blocked, allowed, or monitored. 4️⃣ If allowed, the request reaches CloudFront, ALB, or API Gateway.

---

📌 AWS WAF Rule Types with SecureCart Use Cases

Rule Type	SecureCart Use Case
IP Set Rule	Allow trusted partners’ IPs while blocking suspicious sources.
Rate-Based Rule	Throttle excessive requests to prevent bot traffic & brute-force login attempts.
String Matching	Block requests containing SQL Injection or XSS attack patterns.
Geo Match Rule	Restrict access to SecureCart APIs from unauthorized countries.
Regex Pattern Set	Detect patterns in URL queries to prevent API abuse.

---

📌 Best Practices for SecureCart’s AWS WAF Deployment

✅ Use AWS Managed Rules for OWASP Top 10 protections. ✅ Enable Rate-Based Rules to mitigate brute-force attacks. ✅ Monitor AWS WAF logs in CloudWatch to analyze traffic patterns. ✅ Use AWS WAF Bot Control to block automated threats. ✅ Deploy AWS WAF across ALB, CloudFront, and API Gateway.

---

📌 Common AWS WAF Mistakes & How SecureCart Avoids Them

⚠️ Not monitoring WAF logs → SecureCart integrates AWS WAF logs with CloudWatch & Security Hub. ⚠️ Blocking legitimate traffic → SecureCart tests rules in count mode before enforcing them. ⚠️ Ignoring bot traffic → SecureCart enables AWS WAF Bot Control for real-time bot detection. ⚠️ Not using rate-limiting → SecureCart applies Rate-Based Rules for API Gateway protection.

---

📌 Summary

AWS WAF is an essential security service for SecureCart, protecting web applications, APIs, and CloudFront from cyber threats.

✅ Web Application Protection (ALB) → Blocks SQL Injection, XSS, and brute-force logins. ✅ API Security (API Gateway) → Prevents unauthorized API requests and bot abuse. ✅ Content Security (CloudFront) → Stops scraping and malicious traffic.