In today’s digital world, web application firewalls (WAFs) are indispensable for safeguarding your online presence. However, how do you choose between a cloud-based WAF and an on-premise one?
Both have their merits and the right choice will depend on your organisation’s specific needs and resources.
Difference Between Cloud and On-Premise WAF
First, let’s explore the main difference between the two – the location. A cloud WAF is hosted offsite by a third-party provider while an on-premise WAF is installed locally within a company’s physical server environment.
Five Factors to Consider
1. Deployment
Deployment is a crucial factor when choosing between cloud WAFs and on-premise WAFs.
Implementing an on-premise WAF can take several days to a week to be fully operational. Organisations must also have the expertise within their IT teams to manage and maintain on-premise WAFs.
On the flip side, cloud WAFs are generally easier and faster to set up, often taking minutes. These solutions can be managed through a user-friendly interface, requiring less in-depth technical knowledge.
2. Scalability
Scalability is a crucial factor when considering WAFs. Both cloud and on-premise WAFs offer different approaches to accommodating growth and changing requirements.
Due to hardware limitations, on-premise WAFs are not as scalable as cloud WAFs. Expanding the capacity of an on-premise WAF typically involves additional hardware purchases, while cloud WAFs can be scaled up or down to meet changing demands.
This flexibility allows organisations to adjust their security posture based on traffic fluctuations or emerging threats.
3. Operating Costs
Cost is another important consideration when choosing between cloud and on-premise WAFs. While both options involve expenses, the cost structure differs significantly.
On-premise WAFs have significant upfront hardware, software, and installation investments, while cloud WAFs have more predictable costs as they typically have a subscription-based pricing model, making costs more predictable and manageable.
Cloud WAFs also do not require significant upfront investments, making them a more affordable option for organisations with limited budgets.
4. Control & Security
Both on-premise and cloud WAFs offer comprehensive protection for web applications, but the degree of control over security policies and rules differ.
With on-premise WAFs, companies have greater control over security policies, allowing them to customise the policies to their specific needs.
Further, companies that deal with sensitive data such as government entities may be more comfortable with an on-premise WAF setup, as it is completely air-gapped.
However, this means that these organisations require in-house security expertise to manage the hardware, software, and rule configuration.
On the other hand, cloud WAFs offer less control over specific rule configurations and organisations generally rely on the provider’s default rules. However, this frees up internal IT resources to focus on other priorities and also reduces the need for skilled headcount.
5. Performance
WAF performance is a critical factor impacting user experience and security effectiveness.
On-premise WAFs generally offer lower latency due to their proximity to the web applications, resulting in faster response times. For organisations where an application’s performance is critical, on-premise wafs may be an ideal choice.
Cloud WAFs however, introduce additional latency due to the distance between the web applications and the cloud-based WAF infrastructure.
Conclusion
The decision between cloud and on-premise WAFs depends on your organisation’s unique requirements. Consider factors such as your hosting environment, desired level of control, budget, and expertise.
Organisations operating in hybrid cloud environments may find cloud WAFs a more seamless integration option. Cloud WAFs are generally affordable, easy to implement and require minimal upfront investment.
However, an on-premise WAF might be a more logical fit for large organisations or government entities which require more customisation and control over security policies and rule.
Contact Cloudsine today to learn how WebOrion® Protector can help you safeguard your organisation’s digital assets.
