What is the difference between WAF and firewall?

Question

Accepted Answer

**Firewall** — network-level filtering. **WAF** — application-level protection.

**Firewall:**
- Network level.
- IP/port filtering.
- Rules-based.
- Blocks network attacks.

```
Firewall:
Rule: Block port 23 (Telnet)
Rule: Allow port 443 (HTTPS)
(Network level filtering)
```

**WAF (Web Application Firewall):**
- Application level.
- HTTP/HTTPS filtering.
- Protects against web attacks.
- SQL injection, XSS.

```
WAF:
Block: SQL injection attempts
Block: XSS attacks
Allow: legitimate requests
(Application level protection)
```

**Key differences:**
- **Firewall** — network level.
- **WAF** — application level.
- **Firewall** — IP/port.
- **WAF** — HTTP content.

Systems Analyst: What is the difference between WAF and firewall?