Tag: AWS WAF

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AWS DevOps Solution Case Studies

Case Study | Modernizing LegalE’s Applications with DevOps

  • Post author By GoDgtl
  • Post date

LegalE is a leading legal technology company that specializes in delivering cutting-edge digital solutions to law firms and legal professionals. In its quest to remain at the forefront of technology, LegalE actively sought a dependable partner to revamp its applications, streamline its development processes through DevOps services, and optimize platform performance using advanced cloud technologies.

The Challenge

LegalE faced several challenges in its quest for application modernization and efficient development practices:

  • Legacy Systems: LegalE’s existing applications were built on outdated technologies, hindering agility, scalability, and the ability to respond to market demands promptly.
  • Manual Processes: Development and deployment processes were manual and time-consuming, leading to duplicates being generated, documents are prone to being misplaced, and the frustration of not being able to locate a crucial document when it is most needed becomes all too familiar.
  • Repetitive Tasks: A few tasks such as drafting compelling cause titles for petitions, generating accurate invoices for clients, and staying updated with case progress would often become repetitive and time consuming.
  • Security Concerns: There was always a possibility of a physical case file being stolen, duplicated, compromised, or even destroyed. As a legal firm, ensuring data security is of utmost importance. LegalE needed a solution that would enhance security while ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.

The Solution

To address LegalE’s challenges effectively, GoDgtl proposed a comprehensive DevOps solution, leveraging modern tools and cloud services.

One crucial aspect of this solution is Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) with Jenkins. This approach ensures a seamless and efficient workflow, allowing for continuous updates and improvements to LegalE’s software.

To facilitate effective version control, GoDgtl suggested utilizing Git, a reliable and user-friendly tool.

In terms of cloud hosting, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the preferred choice for LegalE due to its exceptional scalability and reliability. By leveraging AWS, LegalE could effortlessly host their applications and services in the cloud, ensuring optimal performance and accessibility.

AWS also offers a comprehensive suite of security services, including Identity and Access Management (IAM), AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF). These services play a vital role in safeguarding LegalE’s applications and data from potential security threats.

GoDgtl worked closely with LegalE to implement the DevOps solutions seamlessly. The implementation process involved:

  • Setting up Jenkins pipelines to automate the entire CI/CD process, including code compilation, testing, and deployment to various environments.
  • Migrating LegalE’s applications to AWS, configuring resources for high availability and scalability, and ensuring data security with AWS security services.
  • Integrating Git for version control, enabling developers to manage code collaboratively, track changes, and roll back to previous versions if needed.
  • Configuring Maven for efficient project build and deployment.
  • Training LegalE’s development and operations teams on the new DevOps practices and tools to ensure a smooth transition.
  • Continuous monitoring and support for the infrastructure.

Results

The implementation of DevOps solutions by GoDgtl had several positive outcomes for LegalE:

  • Increased Efficiency: Automation of development and deployment processes reduced errors and significantly shortened the time to find relevant documents. It also removed duplicates and ensured all the vital documents are safe and quick to find.
  • Scalability and Reliability: AWS services allowed LegalE to scale their applications effortlessly to meet growing demand while ensuring high availability.
  • Enhanced Security: AWS security services and Macie helped LegalE maintain robust data security practices and meet compliance requirements.
  • Cost Optimization: The pay-as-you-go model of AWS helped LegalE optimize costs by only paying for the resources they used.

About GoDgtl

GoDgtl by PruTech is an Advanced Consulting Partner of AWS. Through our innovative and customized cloud services, we help our customers to design, architect, build, migrate, and manage their workloads and applications on cloud, accelerating their journey to the cloud. We offer cost-effective and secure cloud solutions through the effective implementation of the latest cloud technologies and processes that are highly scalable and compatible with changing market demands.

Our cloud managed services are offered through a holistic approach to the cloud

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AWS DevOps Solution Case Studies

Case Study | Transforming Finwell’s DevOps Environment

  • Post author By GoDgtl
  • Post date

Finwell, a prominent financial services company, encountered a major hurdle in the process of modernizing their IT infrastructure and DevOps practices to keep up with the increasing demands for scalability, reliability, and security. To tackle these challenges head-on, Finwell forged a partnership with GoDgtl, a highly regarded AWS Cloud Consulting Partner, to seamlessly migrate their applications to the cloud and establish a resilient DevOps environment.

The Challenge

Finwell’s existing on-premises infrastructure was unable to cope with the increasing demand for their financial services. They needed to modernize their technology stack, improve application deployment processes, and enhance security to meet industry compliance standards.

Key challenges included:

  • Scalability: Finwell needed a flexible infrastructure to handle fluctuating workloads efficiently.
  • DevOps Transformation: They required an efficient and automated DevOps pipeline for application deployment.
  • Security and Compliance: Compliance with industry regulations and data security were paramount.

The Solution

GoDgtl delivered a holistic solution to effectively address Finwell’s challenges by harnessing cloud technologies, implementing DevOps best practices, and leveraging AWS services.

To enhance efficiency and bolster security, we recommended the adoption of AWS services. Finwell’s applications were seamlessly migrated to the cloud using AWS Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances.

To streamline application deployment, we harnessed Jenkins, a leading CI/CD tool, automating the deployment process and saving valuable time and resources. For enhanced collaboration and version control, we integrated GIT, ensuring seamless teamwork and improved version management.

In building and deploying Java-based applications, we seamlessly integrated Maven and Tomcat, resulting in efficient and reliable processes, ensuring uninterrupted client operations.

Our autoscaling and load-balancing solutions effectively addressed performance concerns. To ensure top-tier security, we implemented a suite of AWS services, including GuardDuty, Security Hub, Inspector, WAF, Macie, KMS, CloudTrail, CloudWatch, IAM, and Malware scan. Adhering to industry best practices, we fortified security and established a robust monitoring system for the AWS cloud environment.

Results

The partnership between Finwell and GoDgtl has proven to be highly successful, resulting in a range of effective outcomes:

  • Scalability: Finwell’s applications have demonstrated the ability to seamlessly scale in response to demand, guaranteeing uninterrupted services for our valued customers.
  • DevOps Efficiency: By implementing Jenkins and Git, we have significantly enhanced the development and deployment processes. This has led to a reduction in time-to-market for new features and updates, allowing us to stay ahead of the competition.
  • Security and Compliance: Utilization of AWS security services and encryption measures has ensured the utmost protection of data and compliance with industry regulations.
  • Cost Optimization: Leveraging a cloud-based architecture has enabled Finwell to optimize infrastructure costs by only paying for the resources that are utilized. This cost-effective approach has allowed Finwell to allocate their financial resources more efficiently.

About GoDgtl

GoDgtl by PruTech is an Advanced Consulting Partner of AWS. Through our innovative and customized cloud services, we help our customers to design, architect, build, migrate, and manage their workloads and applications on cloud, accelerating their journey to the cloud. We offer cost-effective and secure cloud solutions through the effective implementation of the latest cloud technologies and processes that are highly scalable and compatible with changing market demands.

Our cloud managed services are offered through a holistic approach to the cloud

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AWS Web Application Firewall Blog

Keep a check on Vulnerabilities in your system through AWS WAF

In today’s era of rapid digitalization, ensuring the protection of digital assets has become paramount. To counter the escalating threats, organizations must establish a formidable defense mechanism. AWS Web Application Firewall (WAF) stands as a robust arsenal, shielding web applications from prevalent vulnerabilities and exploits.

Understanding AWS WAF:

AWS WAF serves as a web application firewall, shielding applications and APIs from a broad spectrum of attacks, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Applications often serve as the gateway to valuable data and thus are a prime target for breaches. AWS WAF empowers users to define rules that scrutinize and filter incoming HTTP and HTTPS requests. It seamlessly integrates with CloudFront, API Gateway, AppSync, and the Application Load Balancer (ALB) services, which deliver content for websites and applications. AWS WAF offers managed rules, pre-configured to shield applications against OWASP, bots, and common vulnerabilities.

Implementing AWS WAF for Vulnerability Checks:

  • Create a Web ACL: Begin by crafting a Web Access Control (Web ACL) within the AWS WAF console. This container houses rules dictating how AWS filters incoming requests to the web application.
  • Enable AWS Managed Rules: AWS WAF furnishes an array of pre-configured managed rules that safeguard applications from prevalent vulnerabilities. Enable pertinent managed rules aligned with your specific requirements. These rules, designed and maintained by security experts, receive regular updates to address emerging threats, enhancing security without manual intervention.
  • Custom Rule Creation: In addition to AWS Managed rules, users can devise custom rules tailored to their application’s distinct demands. These rules allow the definition of specific conditions and actions for request filtering.
  • Logging and Monitoring: Vital to enable logging and monitoring within the AWS WAF account to maintain a comprehensive overview of potential vulnerabilities. Capturing detailed request information—allowed, blocked, or counted—can be sent to Amazon CloudWatch or an Amazon S3 bucket for analysis and monitoring.
  • Integration with AWS Services: AWS WAF seamlessly merges with other AWS services, empowering users to further fortify their security stance. When combined with Amazon CloudFront, a global content delivery network, AWS WAF guards web applications against DDoS attacks and SQL injections. Integration with AWS Lambda facilitates automated response actions based on predefined conditions, such as request blocking or notifications.
  • Regular Updates: AWS WAF offers notifications and advisories to keep users informed about new threats and rule updates. Regularly reviewing and updating AWS WAF rules allows adherence to evolving security best practices. Monitoring traffic and analyzing logs identifies potential vulnerabilities, upholding an effective defense.
  • Test and Validate: Post AWS WAF implementation, rigorously test and validate its efficacy. Employ penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to uncover potential weaknesses and ensure the desired protection.

Conclusion:

Following the aforementioned steps enables effective implementation of AWS WAF for vulnerability checks, safeguarding web applications against common threats. Protecting web applications remains an ongoing endeavor, and AWS WAF provides a comprehensive solution to bolster defenses. Through AWS WAF’s managed and custom rules, coupled with logging, monitoring, and integration with AWS services, organizations can maintain robust security and vigilance over potential vulnerabilities.

GoDgtl by Prutech, an AWS Advanced Consulting partner, extends tailored AWS WAF services worldwide. Our expert services ensure cloud and application security, upholding data integrity and compliance.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business thrive in the cloud era. Contact 24/7 – GoDgtl (go-dgtl.in).

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AWS Web Application Firewall Blog

Ensure advanced security for Web Apps and API through effective implementation of AWS WAF Services

AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) is a robust security tool that helps protect web applications and API from external threats like SQL injection and cross site scripting attacks. It consists of a set of rules that control access to the applications based on the IP addresses, geographic location, or user-agent strings.

AWS WAF helps in the effective monitoring of HTTP and HTTPS requests that are forwarded to the web application infrastructure. 

AWS WAF also provides logging and monitoring capabilities, allowing customers to review and analyze traffic patterns and security events to identify potential security threats and take appropriate actions.

Common threats faced by API and web applications.

Web applications and API are vulnerable to various kinds of attacks that lead to unprecedented downtime, privacy intrusion, or high bandwidth usage. The most common web attacks include:

  • DDoS attacks: This involves flooding a web application or API with traffic leading to application crashing or becoming unresponsive.
  • SQL injection: The process of inserting malicious SQL statements into a web application’s input fields by attackers to gain access to sensitive information stored in the database is known as SQL injection. 
  • Cross-site scripting: This involves injecting malicious scripts into a web page or API response which is then executed by the victim’s browser. These scripts can rewrite the content of the HTML pages.   

AWS helps protect web applications and API from typical vulnerabilities by allowing the users to set rules to monitor web traffic and help minimize web attacks. 

Steps to configure AWS WAF to protect web resources

  • Start by defining your security requirements, determine which resources you need to protect and the type of attacks that you want to secure your applications from.
  • Create a web ACL (Access Control List) which consists of a set of rules to block traffic from accessing the web application. 
  • The next step involves configuring a set of rules to protect web applications. AWS WAF consists of pre-configured rules that protect web applications against common attacks. This set of rules can be customized according to specific needs. 
  • Next define the conditions when the rule needs to be triggered. These conditions comprise of expressions that specify the attributes of the web requests, such as the IP address of the client or the type of the browser being used.
  • Finally, by integrating the Web ACL with the CloudFront distribution, API Gateway, or Application Load Balancer, you can deploy it to your web application.

Benefits of AWS WAF:

AWS WAF plays a major role in protecting your website against web attacks based on your specific criteria. The characteristics of web requests such as the following can be used to define specific criteria:

  • Requests originating from IP addresses.
  • The country from where the requests originate.
  • Header value of the requests.
  • The strings are included in requests, either specifically or by matching regular expression (regex) patterns.
  • Length of requests.
  • SQL injection that implies malicious SQL code.
  • Cross-site scripting that includes malicious script.
  • Rules that allow, block, or count web requests that meet certain criteria. A rule can also be configured to block or count web requests that meet the specified criteria but exceed a specified number of requests in a 5-minute period as well.
  • Rules that can be reused for multiple web applications.
  • A set of managed rule groups from AWS and AWS Marketplace sellers.
  • An analysis of real-time metrics and sample web requests.
  • Implementation of AWS WAF API for Automated administration.

Features of AWS WAF for robust protection against web attacks

  • Protection against common web exploits: AWS WAF allows you to protect your web applications against common web exploits such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other types of attacks.
  • Customizable rules: You can customize rules in AWS WAF to match your specific needs. This allows you to create rules that are tailored to your application and protect against the most common threats.
  • Scalability: AWS WAF is designed to be scalable, which means it can handle large volumes of traffic without impacting application performance.
  • Integration with other AWS services: AWS WAF can be integrated with other AWS services, such as Amazon CloudFront, AWS Elastic Load Balancing, and AWS Application Load Balancer. This allows you to protect your entire application stack, from the front-end to the back end.
  • Real-time monitoring and logging: AWS WAF provide real-time monitoring and logging capabilities, which allows you to detect and respond to threats in real-time.
  • Cost-effective: AWS WAF is a cost-effective solution for protecting your web applications. Resources are only charged based on usage, with no upfront costs or long-term contracts.

How to optimize performance through effective use of AWS WAF?

AWS WAF services lead to performance implications such as latency, higher processing overheads, and increased costs when not implemented in the right way. To avoid such implications, it is suggested to follow the below methods and optimize performance.

  • Customized use of AWS WAF: Not all web applications require a web application firewall. If your web application is not vulnerable to common web-based attacks, you may not need to use AWS WAF.
  • Use caching: Caching can help to reduce the number of requests that need to be inspected by AWS WAF. You can use caching solutions like Amazon CloudFront or Amazon Elasticache to cache frequently accessed content.
  • Use Amazon API Gateway: Amazon API Gateway can help to reduce the number of requests that need to be inspected by AWS WAF. You can use API Gateway to route requests to specific endpoints, reducing the number of requests that need to be inspected.
  • Optimize your AWS WAF rules: AWS WAF allows you to create custom rules to block or allow traffic. You can optimize these rules to reduce the processing overhead of AWS WAF.
  • Monitor your AWS WAF usage: Monitoring your AWS WAF usage can help you identify any performance bottlenecks. You can use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor your AWS WAF usage and identify any issues.

Best practices for implementing AWS WAF

AWS WAF best practices ensure the web applications are well protected from common threats and vulnerabilities. 

Some of the best practices for AWS WAF include:

  • Using managed rules
  • Create rules based on the security requirements to filter traffic.
  • Monitor AWS WAF logs to identify potential threats.
  • Regularly update AWS WAF rules to ensure the application is protected against the latest threats.
  • Use AWS WAF with other security services to provide a more comprehensive security solution for web applications.
  • Test the WAF rules for proper working and maximize performance.
  • AWS security automation provides a dashboard that is customized to provide insights into potential threats and the protection that AWS WAF provides.

Case Study

AWS WAF is a robust security solution helping companies to improve their overall security posture and protect their web applications and API from external threats. Below mentioned are two case studies of organizations that have successfully implemented AWS WAF and achieved complete protection of their resources.

  1. Oricred: Oricred is a financial services organization that offers loans and financial services to all sectors of society. They used AWS WAF to protect their web applications from security threats such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). By using AWS WAF, they were able to monitor their traffic, block malicious requests, and respond to threats in real-time. The effective implementation of AWS WAF included custom managed security rules to protect web applications and APIs against potential threats.
  2. Property Adviser: Property Adviser, a real estate giant, implemented a comprehensive security solution to ensure the security of customer data. They implemented AWS WAF through a set of rules and achieved complete protection for the customer-facing applications. AWS WAF helped secure the customer information and protect web applications against common web exploits and bots facilitating its growth strategy.

GoDgtl by Prutech, an Advance AWS partner, has successfully implemented AWS WAF and achieved complete protection for the applications through a set of managed rules for both Oricred and Property Adviser.

Conclusion

AWS WAF is a comprehensive security solution for organizations looking to secure their crucial web applications and API from cyber-attacks and external threats.

AWS WAF provides logging and monitoring capabilities, allowing customers to review and analyze traffic patterns and security events to identify potential security threats and take appropriate actions.

GoDgtl by Prutech, an Advanced Consulting Partner of AWS offers the latest security solutions for customers across the world. Our expertise team of cloud engineers have successfully implemented customized AWS WAF solution for organizations of various business verticals.

Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your business thrive in the cloud era. Contact 24/7 – GoDgtl (go-dgtl.in).