Application firewall is a security tool that protects specific apps—like a website, mobile backend, or API—by inspecting the actual content of the traffic, not just ports and IP addresses.
It understands web requests (HTTP/HTTPS) and blocks attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and malicious file uploads. A basic network firewall might allow traffic on port 443, but an application firewall checks if that traffic is safe before it reaches the app.
Many websites in Kenya use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to safeguard e-commerce checkouts, mobile money (M-Pesa) integrations, and online portals for schools or counties. Cloud WAFs are popular because you can deploy them quickly without changing on-premise routers.
See also: Firewall, Web Application Firewall (WAF), API, Intrusion Detection System (IDS).
