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AWS WAF vs Zscaler: What are the differences?
Introduction
AWS WAF and Zscaler are two popular web application firewall (WAF) solutions used to protect web applications and APIs from various cyber threats. While both aim to enhance the security of web assets, they have key differences that set them apart.
Cloud-based vs. On-premises: AWS WAF is a cloud-based solution provided by Amazon Web Services, allowing customers to deploy and manage their web application firewall in the AWS cloud. On the other hand, Zscaler is an on-premises WAF solution that requires physical hardware deployment in the customer's own infrastructure.
Scalability and elasticity: With AWS WAF, customers can easily scale their security infrastructure horizontally and vertically by leveraging the elasticity of the AWS cloud. This means that as web traffic increases or decreases, AWS WAF can dynamically adjust resources to handle the load effectively. Zscaler, being an on-premises solution, may have limitations in terms of scalability, as it depends on the capacity of the physical hardware.
Integration and compatibility: AWS WAF is tightly integrated with other AWS services, such as AWS CloudFront and Application Load Balancer, which makes it seamless to configure and manage WAF rules. Zscaler, being on-premises, may require additional effort for integration with other cloud services or infrastructure components.
Network architecture: AWS WAF operates in a decentralized manner, with deployment options across multiple AWS regions globally. This allows the WAF to have minimal latency and higher availability. Zscaler, being an on-premises solution, relies on the customer's network architecture and may have limitations in terms of geographic coverage and latency.
Rule customization and flexibility: AWS WAF provides customers with fine-grained control over web traffic by allowing them to create custom rules using OWASP Core Rule Set (CRS) or develop their own AWS WAF rules. Zscaler also offers rule customization but may have limitations compared to the flexibility provided by AWS WAF.
Cost model: AWS WAF follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, where customers only pay for the resources they consume. This allows for flexibility and cost optimization. Zscaler, being an on-premises solution, may involve upfront hardware costs, ongoing maintenance, and potentially higher operational costs.
In Summary, AWS WAF and Zscaler differ in terms of deployment model (cloud-based vs. on-premises), scalability, integration, network architecture, rule customization, and cost model.
