

Find out in this report how the two Web Application Firewall (WAF) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
I observed around 35 to 45% reduction in malicious application layer traffic reaching the origin, which helped protect the backend systems and reduce risk exposure.
One measurable benefit was a reduction in manual effort required for managing and tuning web application protection policies because the managed rule capabilities and centralized visibility simplified the day-to-day operations.
I did see a return on my investment with F5 Rules for AWS WAF because I was able to detect attacks earlier, and because of this, my resources were not scaling continuously, thus saving costs on resources.
They know how much money they are losing while the system is down, so by increasing the possibility of not having a down website or web application, return on investment can be calculated easily.
I was able to save over seven million dollars last year as return on investment in the company.
I have seen a return on investment with Imperva Application Security Platform, as it is generally associated with time savings, because the review of alerts and the visibility it gives saves us significant operational time.
They clearly explained what the best options are based on my use case, which helped us shortlist what is required.
The support team generally demonstrates strong technical knowledge around application security and traffic management, along with the AWS integrations.
For critical issues, the response time is quite good, and the support teams are knowledgeable in handling rule tuning, false positives, and other security-related incidents.
I would rate the technical support of Imperva DDoS as ten.
They need to work faster on the response time because of issues of urgent replies.
Responsive support addressing urgent needs.
In my experience, F5 Rules for AWS WAF handles traffic spikes and high request volumes efficiently, including during attack scenarios such as bot surges or application layer attacks.
Easily handling traffic spikes and high-volume attacks without any manual intervention.
It supports scaling without significantly affecting application performance even during high traffic periods or sudden spikes in requests.
99% of customers are using the cloud version of Imperva DDoS protection, so they just purchase the new license and scale as needed.
I have not even needed support after deployment, since it has remained stable.
It is easy to always scale to add more users.
F5 Rules for AWS WAF is consistently updated and applied without impacting application availability, and it handles high traffic volumes effectively, even during attack scenarios.
Especially in terms of policy enforcement, traffic inspection, and integration with AWS environments.
Providing comprehensive managed rules coverage and reducing operational overhead compared to the AWS native managed rules.
It is also a stable product without much glitch or downtime.
One notable drawback is that, unlike Fortinet, which offers fast track labs and continuous enablement, Imperva Application Security Platform lacks lab access and fast track labs for enablement and product advertising.
We experienced downtime or crashes with Imperva Application Security Platform when traffic went really strong or fast because people tried to get tickets.
To stay safer from a security perspective, continuous improvisation in these security rules is required to ensure we are always up to date with new attacks.
The most useful change for F5 Rules for AWS WAF would be rule-level allow listing and exception management.
Fine-tuning it to match specific application behavior can sometimes be complex and time-consuming, especially for teams without deep WAF expertise.
To convince my clients, a purely on-prem solution would be ideal since they are financial institutions.
Maybe Imperva DDoS could use endpoints to get information about the attacks before they commence from the endpoint level or establish cooperation with endpoint vendors to share this information.
Regarding return on investment, ROI, I can say it is noticeable with Imperva Application Security Platform.
It has competitive pricing.
There is no significant setup cost involved, as it is a managed service that can be quickly integrated into the existing AWS WAF configuration without additional infrastructure.
F5 Rules for AWS WAF is not very costly and is reasonable, with enterprises being able to afford the cost.
I would rate the pricing of Imperva DDoS as five, where one is very cheap and ten is very expensive.
the setup cost was high, with the hardware installation in the data center being particularly expensive.
We have noticed faster response times and fewer security alerts because after doing some custom policy tuning, everything seemed to be aligned and we have fewer attacks to monitor and fewer alerts to monitor.
Now, looking at these rule sets, they ensure that our origin or our application content and code, as well as the application itself or its API, are secure enough, always.
F5 Rules for AWS WAF rule sets are highly effective in detecting and mitigating OWASP Top 10 attacks such as SQL injection, XSS, and command injection, which significantly strengthens application security.
Using F5 Rules for AWS WAF has positively impacted my organization by making our AI-integrated application more secure from bot attacks, restricted size bodies, automated rate blocking for DDoS, and managed rules, especially as security has become a common concern across the industry.
The API security feature is particularly valuable because most attackers do not try to come in from where it is expected.
If someone attempts to access the server, the WAF blocks that SSRF alert, or RCE, Remote Code Execution alert, blocking immediately based on the signature, not only by the payload or the IP address.
It reduces the DDoS attacks and reduces the attacks from threat actors, including SQL Injection and zero-day attacks, by using dynamic application profiling from Imperva.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Imperva Application Security Platform | 7.3% |
| F5 Rules for AWS WAF | 0.5% |
| Other | 92.2% |

| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 4 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 1 |
| Large Enterprise | 7 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 88 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 25 |
| Large Enterprise | 70 |
F5 Rules for AWS WAF provides advanced web application protection tailored to secure applications hosted on AWS, offering dynamic defenses against evolving threats.
This solution offers a robust set of rules designed to enhance AWS WAF capabilities, delivering specialized protections against complex web threats. F5 Rules dynamically guard against emerging vulnerabilities, ensuring comprehensive threat mitigation. It's crafted to integrate seamlessly with AWS environments, making it fast and easy to deploy, manage, and scale as compared with legacy alternatives, providing users a manageable and comprehensive security layer for their applications.
What are the key features of F5 Rules for AWS WAF?In industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail, F5 Rules have been implemented to protect sensitive data and online transactions. This helps ensure compliance with industry regulations while maintaining performance and uptime for web applications.
Imperva Application Security Platform delivers comprehensive and continuous web threat protection. Renowned for its ease of use, it shields web applications and databases from various cyber threats while integrating seamlessly with cloud and on-premises environments.
Imperva Application Security Platform protects web environments by offering advanced security measures against threats like DDoS attacks, SQL injections, and cross-site scripting. As a robust web application firewall, it provides extensive monitoring and bot management capabilities. The platform integrates content delivery networks for enhanced performance and scalability, while real-time traffic analysis ensures consistent protection. Despite its strengths, improvements can be made in policy management and customization options. Users seek better integration with third-party tools and more competitive pricing models. The inclusion of AI for enhanced analytics is also anticipated.
What are the key features of Imperva Application Security Platform?Imperva Application Security Platform is implemented in industries needing strong database and application protection. Companies use it to enforce geolocation restrictions and manage bots, benefiting sectors like finance and e-commerce where data security and threat monitoring are critical. Its ability to protect and ensure data accessibility makes it integral to business operations prioritizing cyber resilience.
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