AWS WAF vs ArcSight: What are the differences?

Key Differences between AWS WAF and ArcSight

1. Functionality: AWS WAF is a web application firewall that helps protect web applications from common web exploits. It primarily focuses on filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic to and from web applications. In contrast, ArcSight is a security information and event management (SIEM) platform that consolidates and analyzes security data from various sources to detect and respond to security threats comprehensively.

2. Deployment: AWS WAF is a cloud-based service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) and is seamlessly integrated with other AWS services. It requires minimal setup and configuration, making it suitable for cloud-based applications. On the other hand, ArcSight is an on-premises SIEM solution that needs to be deployed in the organization's infrastructure, which may require more resources and expertise for implementation and maintenance.

3. Focus on Threats: While AWS WAF focuses on protecting web applications from common security threats such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and DDoS attacks, ArcSight is more concerned with monitoring and analyzing security events and incidents across the organization's network infrastructure. ArcSight is designed to provide visibility into potential threats and vulnerabilities in real-time, enabling proactive threat detection and response.

4. Integration Capabilities: AWS WAF is designed to seamlessly integrate with other AWS services such as Amazon CloudFront and AWS Shield for enhanced security and performance. It offers native integration with AWS services for efficient management and monitoring of web application traffic. In contrast, ArcSight supports integration with a wide range of security tools and third-party applications, allowing organizations to correlate security events and data from multiple sources for a comprehensive view of the security posture.

5. Scalability and Flexibility: AWS WAF can automatically scale resources based on demand and traffic patterns, making it suitable for applications with fluctuating traffic volumes. It provides flexibility in setting up rules and policies to customize security measures according to specific application requirements. ArcSight, on the other hand, may require additional resources and configuration to scale effectively, especially in large and complex network environments.

6. Cost Structure: AWS WAF follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model based on usage and resources provisioned, allowing organizations to scale costs according to actual usage. ArcSight typically involves upfront procurement costs for licenses, hardware, and implementation services, with additional costs for maintenance and support. The cost structure of ArcSight may vary depending on the deployment model and scale of the organization's security operations.

In Summary, AWS WAF primarily focuses on web application security and traffic filtering in the cloud, while ArcSight is a comprehensive SIEM platform for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to security events across the network infrastructure with integration capabilities and scalability considerations differing between the two solutions.