Top 5 Best WAF Appliances
Just like our top 5 cloud-based WAF solutions were all from well-known vendors, so is the case with our WAF appliances. They are from some of the most reputable security equipment vendors. And just like our previous list, this one has nothing but the best. Note that most vendors of WAF appliances also offer a cloud-based service.
1. Imperva SecureSphere
Imperva is one of the two vendors who made it into both of our lists. Its SecureSphere WAF targets smaller installations. The various units they propose vary in throughput from 100 Mbps to 10 Gbps with the smallest able to process 440 SSL transactions per second and the larger some 9000. A mid-tier unit, the X2020 has a throughput of 500 Mbps, will process 2000 SSL transactions per second and will set you back some $4200.
If you pick one of the top-tier models, you’ll be glad to learn that they are upgradable to the next bigger model. For example, the X821 can be upgraded to an X 10K, effectively doubling its capacity. And upgrading only requires purchasing proper software patch and license. No costly hardware upgrades are required.
2. Barracuda Web Application Firewall
Barracuda is another well-respected name in the field of IT security. It proposes an excellent WAF solution which is perfectly suited for small and mid-sized organizations. The Barracuda appliances are somewhat more expensive than their competitor’s but they come with one year of free updates. And about updates, they take place frequently, whenever a new threat is identified.
The Barracuda WAF appliance also has a few extra features. For instance, it offers caching for faster content delivery. Load balancing between multiple servers is another available feature. You can even add full DDoS protection. Like most other WAF appliances, the Barracuda WAAF is available in several sizes. An average device like the Model 360 will cost you about $6350 and give you 25 Mbps of throughput and 2000 SSL transactions per second.
3. Citrix Netscaler Application Firewall
The Citrix Netscaler is an immensely popular load balancing appliance. If you’re already using them, you’ll be glad to know that you can also use some of them as a Web Application Firewall. The functionality is only available in the top NetSclaer MPX appliances or the NetScaler Cloud Service. And furthermore, you’ll need to purchase the top-tier Platinum license to get it for free although it is also available as an option with the Enterprise license.
The biggest advantage of the NetScaler WAF is that you get state of the art load balancing and security in one box. This is a premium system and it comes at a premium price. You can expect to pay around $4000 for the smallest model, the MPX 5550 with a throughput of 500 Mbps and up to 1500 SSL transactions per second.
4. Fortinet FortiWeb
The FortiWeb appliance from Fortinet is better suited for smaller to mid-size organizations. The appliance integrates WAF, load balancing, and an SSL offloading functionality. One of the best–and newest– features of the FortiWeb appliance is the two-step AI-based machine learning which improves attack detection accuracy. it nearly creates a “Set and Forget” Web Application Firewall
The FortiWeb appliance will protect your infrastructure from the latest application vulnerabilities, bots, and suspicious URLs. And its dual machine learning detection engines keep your applications safe from all sorts of threats like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, buffer overflows, cookie poisoning, malicious sources, and DDoS attacks. There are eight different FortiWeb models to choose from, each with increasing capacity. They range from the entry-level 100D at 25 Mbps to the top model 4000E with 20Gbps of throughput.
5. F5 BIG-IP Application Security Manager (ASM)
Last but not least is the F5 BIG-IP ASM appliance. You might know F5 as one of Citrix’s primary competitors. They’re well-known for their top-notch load balancers. This is an appliance which targets larger businesses.
The F5 BIG-IP ASM threat protection uses deep threat analysis and dynamic learning, you barely have any configuration to do and yet you can be assured that your infrastructure is adequately protected. Another interesting feature of the F5 BIG-IP ASM is SSL offloading. The device will handle the SSL encryption and decryption on the fly, allowing your web servers to concentrate on what they do best, serve web pages.