AWS WAF
A web application firewall that filters and blocks malicious web requests by rules.
AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) operates at the application layer (Layer 7) to inspect HTTP and HTTPS traffic, letting you define rules that block common web exploits such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and bad bots before requests reach your application. It integrates with Amazon CloudFront, Application Load Balancer, API Gateway, and AWS AppSync. The key exam distinction is WAF versus AWS Shield: WAF filters malicious application-layer request content using rule-based logic, while Shield defends against DDoS attacks. They address different threat types, and the two are commonly used together for layered protection.
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