Web application firewalls (WAFs) are a critical security tool for councils. Read below about how they can help protect your organisation against cyber security attacks, as well as how WAFs benefit you.


They can help protect against a wide range of attacks, including:
 
  • Cross-site scripting (XSS): This is a type of attack where an attacker injects malicious code into a web application. This code can then be executed by other users, potentially stealing their personal information or taking control of their accounts.
  • Man-in-the-middle (MitM): This is a type of attack where an attacker intercepts communication between a web application and a user. This allows the attacker to steal data or inject malicious code.
  • SQL injection: This is a type of attack where an attacker injects malicious SQL code into a web application. This code can then be used to steal data from the database or even take control of the database server.
  • Denial-of-service (DoS): This is a type of attack where an attacker floods a web application with so much traffic that it becomes unavailable to legitimate users.
 
 
In addition to protecting against attacks, WAFs can also help councils to:
 
  • Meet compliance requirements. Many industries, including healthcare, financial services, and government, have strict security regulations that they must comply with. WAFs can help councils to demonstrate that they are meeting these regulations.
  • Improve the performance of web applications. WAFs can help to improve the performance of web applications by filtering out malicious traffic. This can help to reduce the load on the web application server and improve the response time for legitimate users.
  • Reduce the risk of data breaches. Data breaches can be very costly for councils. WAFs can help to reduce the risk of data breaches by protecting against attacks that could lead to data loss.


Here are some specific reasons why councils should use WAFs:
 
  • Councils collect and store a lot of sensitive data. This data includes personal information about residents, financial information about businesses, and intellectual property. This data is a valuable target for attackers. A WAF can help to protect this data from being stolen or modified by attackers.
  • Councils are often targets for cyberattacks. This is because they are seen as having valuable data and systems. A WAF can help to reduce the risk of a successful cyberattack.
  • WAFs can help to improve the performance of web applications. This can save councils money on their IT costs.
  • Councils are often understaffed and have limited resources to devote to security. WAFs can help to fill this gap by providing a layer of protection that is easy to manage and maintain.
  • WAFs are relatively easy to deploy and manage. This means that councils do not need to have a lot of technical expertise to use them.
  • Councils are increasingly using cloud-based applications and services. WAFs can help to protect these applications and services from attack, even when they are hosted in the cloud.

 
If you are a council, we urge you to consider using a Web Application Firewall. It is an essential tool for protecting your data, your systems, and your reputation from cyberattacks.There are also some things to think about, such as making sure the WAF is compatible with your web applications. Not all WAFs are compatible with all web applications. Also make sure the WAF is easy to manage. You will need to be able to configure and manage the WAF, so it is important to choose one that is easy to use. Finally, make sure the WAF is scalable. Your council's web applications may grow over time, so you need to choose a WAF that can scale with your needs.


Not all web application security solutions are created equal. Barracuda Web Application Firewall has been enhanced and refined for over a decade and is trusted by organisations of all sizes around the world to defend against the OWASP Top 10 recognized risks, sophisticated zero-day threats, bots, DDoS attacks and more. More than 200,000 global customers trust Barracuda to safeguard their employees, data, and applications from a wide range of threats.

 
If you have any more questions or are considering purchasing a Barracuda Web Application Firewall, then please contact us!

Posted: August 23, 2023
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Categories: Technology Posts , Cyber Security Posts , Sector
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Author: Rebecca Hamer