1. What is WAF?
WAF or Web Application Firewall, serves as a specialized security layer that safeguards websites, applications, and APIs from attacks such as SQL Injection, XSS, File Inclusion, DDoS, CSRF, or API exploitation.
Unlike traditional network firewalls, WAF operates at the application layer (Layer 7), where hackers often focus to gain access or steal data.
In an environment where cyber attacks are becoming more advanced, emerging trends like AI-powered DDoS and ransom DDoS are making the digital landscape more dangerous than ever. According to the VNETWORK 2025 Cybersecurity Report, 46% of all DDoS incidents in Vietnam (equivalent to over 117,000 attacks) involved AI, enabling hackers to automatically alter vectors, mimic real user behavior, and optimize botnets for sustained assaults that bypass conventional defenses.
Alongside this, Ransom DDoS (RDoS), which combines DDoS with extortion demands, surged 3.7 times in Q1 2025, indicating that cybercriminals are exploiting AI and digital infrastructure dependencies to pressure businesses.
In this context, deploying a modern Cloud WAF is not just a defensive measure but an essential requirement to protect digital infrastructure and business data in the AI era.
2. Limitations of Traditional WAF: Lack of flexibility and prone to missing attacks
Traditional WAFs rely on static rules and regular expressions to detect attacks. This approach works well for known patterns but fails against sophisticated techniques or complex payloads.
Typical limitations of traditional WAF include:
- Missing attacks: Unable to identify new threats.
- False positives: Causing service disruptions and affecting legitimate users.
- Ambiguous assessments: Failing to differentiate threat severity levels.
As attacks evolve and become more varied, traditional WAFs prove sluggish and lack timely response capabilities. Therefore, businesses need a new generation of WAF enhanced by artificial intelligence.
3. What is AI WAF?
AI WAF, or Artificial Intelligence Web Application Firewall, represents the next generation of web application firewalls augmented with artificial intelligence. It enables systems to self-learn, adapt, and proactively respond to emerging cyber threats.
While traditional WAFs depend on fixed rules for detection, AI WAF analyzes user behavior and access context for smarter threat identification.
Key strengths of AI WAF include:
- Detecting unknown threats (zero-day attacks) through behavioral anomaly analysis.
- Minimizing false positives to avoid interrupting legitimate user activities.
- Automatically updating and learning from real attack data to improve defense over time.
- Seamlessly integrating with other security systems like CDN, DDoS Protection, or 24/7 SOC.
With the rise of AI-driven attacks and botnets, AI WAF is seen as an essential advancement for businesses to maintain security, stability, and proactivity in the digital age.
4. VNETWORK's AI WAF: Comprehensive AI-Powered Defense for Web/App/API
VNETWORK's AI WAF (AI Web Application Firewall) is built on machine learning and AI technologies, enabling the firewall to self-learn, adjust, and adapt. The system not only identifies attack patterns but also comprehends context and behavior for more accurate decisions.
Intelligent operating mechanisms
VNETWORK's AI WAF goes beyond blocking based on predefined patterns by intelligently understanding and responding to each access. AI technology allows the system to analyze, evaluate, and update itself to enhance protection over time.
- Contextual analysis: Comprehends request content and intent to reduce false positives.
- Behavior scoring: AI assigns risk scores to accesses using deep learning models for early detection of anomalies.
- Automatic updates: Learns from real data and continuously refines protection rules.
Comprehensive security aligned with OWASP Top 10
VNETWORK's AI WAF is constructed on the OWASP Top 10 framework, shielding systems from the most common vulnerabilities such as Injection, XSS, File Inclusion, Insecure Deserialization, Directory Traversal, sensitive data exposure, CSRF, and more.
Over 2,400 Core Rule Sets (CRS) are integrated into the system, enabling:
- Businesses to customize blocking rules as needed.
- Continuous updates against new threats.
- Mitigation of false positives or missed attacks.
5. Scalability of AI WAF: Bot management, API security, and Emergency response
Beyond web protection, VNETWORK's AI WAF is designed for extensive defense capabilities. It integrates bot management, API security, and emergency response mechanisms, empowering businesses to proactively safeguard digital infrastructure in any scenario.
Intelligent Bot Management
VNETWORK's AI WAF not only detects but also classifies and eliminates malicious bots by analyzing access behavior.
The system identifies devices, authenticates via tokens, spots unusual patterns, and applies escalating challenges (such as CAPTCHA or hidden verification). This effectively blocks data scraping, fraud, ad manipulation, or automated attacks.
Multi-Layer API Security
APIs are a common weak point in many systems. AI WAF provides comprehensive API protection through features like:
- Automatic discovery of new APIs and lifecycle management.
- Real-time monitoring, behavior auditing, and risk assessment.
- Prevention of vulnerability exploitation, authentication flaws, and authorization errors.
- Data Loss Prevention policies to identify and mask sensitive data when necessary.
Flexible Emergency Response
In severe attack scenarios, AI WAF enables emergency mode activation to protect the system:
- Emergency disconnection: Blocks all access in real time.
- Static website mode: Allows only static content like HTML, CSS, and images to keep the system accessible.
- Read-only mode: Prevents data writes or modifications to avoid leaks or encryption.
With rapid processing, VNETWORK's 24/7 SOC team can respond within 5 minutes, ensuring business continuity even in crises.
6. Why Choose VNETWORK's AI WAF?
In an era of escalating cyber threats, selecting the right security solution is critical for survival. VNETWORK's AI WAF surpasses traditional WAF limitations through self-learning, rapid response, and full-spectrum protection from the application layer to APIs, delivering optimal efficiency for businesses.
| No. | Criteria | Traditional WAF | VNETWORK's AI WAF |
| 1 | Detection Mechanism | Relies on static patterns and basic attack forms | Analyzes behavior with AI to detect and block known and emerging attacks |
| 2 | False Positives | High | Low, thanks to machine learning |
| 3 | Bot Management | None | Available, with proactive classification and blocking |
| 4 | API Security | Limited | Multi-layer and comprehensive |
| 5 | Rule Updates | Manual | Automatic and continuous |
| 6 | Emergency Response | None | Available, with 5-minute reaction |
| 7 | Performance | Limited | Handles up to 2,600 Tbps |
7. VNETWORK's Comprehensive VNIS Security Solution
VNIS (VNETWORK Internet Security) is a full-spectrum security platform developed by VNETWORK, built with two core protection layers:
- Multi-CDN Layer: Connects multiple international CDNs in a single platform to accelerate page loads, reduce latency, and ensure global availability.
- AI WAF Layer (Cloud WAAP): Next-generation web application firewall integrating over 2,400 security rules and artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and block targeted attacks while protecting APIs and business data.
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Additionally, VNIS is bolstered by advanced supporting technologies:
- AI Smart Load Balancing: Intelligent load distribution to maintain stability during sudden traffic spikes.
- 24/7/365 SOC and Cybersecurity Experts: Operating in multiple countries (Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong) for ongoing monitoring, analysis, and timely threat response.
The entire platform runs on AI-centric infrastructure, enabling proactive forecasting, detection, and response to increasingly sophisticated attacks. This allows businesses to operate and grow securely, flexibly, and sustainably in the digital environment.
Conclusion
In a landscape where cybersecurity poses existential challenges to every business, VNETWORK's AI WAF delivers a breakthrough in protecting web systems, applications, and APIs. With its self-learning and continuously adapting artificial intelligence foundation, the solution not only detects and blocks attacks more accurately and earlier but also minimizes operational disruptions, ensuring stable and secure user experiences.
When integrated into the VNIS security ecosystem, AI WAF forms part of a comprehensive defense layer, combining Cloud WAF, Multi-CDN, AI Load Balancing, and 24/7 SOC. This is more than a security solution; it is an intelligent, flexible, and sustainable protection platform, equipping businesses to confront any cyber threat.
VNETWORK's AI WAF: The Intelligent Defense Wall for the Digital Era!
FAQ: Common Questions About AI WAF
1. What is AI WAF?
AI WAF (Artificial Intelligence Web Application Firewall) is a web application firewall integrated with artificial intelligence to intelligently detect and block web attacks, reduce false positives, and adapt to new threats.
2. What is the Difference Between AI WAF and Traditional WAF?
AI WAF employs AI and machine learning for learning and behavior analysis, whereas traditional WAF relies solely on fixed rules, making it prone to missing attacks or generating false alerts.
3. Does VNIS AI WAF Protect APIs?
Yes. The VNIS system provides comprehensive API protection, automatically detecting, analyzing behavior, and preventing data leaks with Data Loss Prevention policies.
4. Why Choose VNETWORK's AI WAF?
VNETWORK's AI WAF offers proactive and comprehensive protection through the integration of artificial intelligence and international security standards:
- Intelligent contextual analysis: Enables the system to understand user intent via semantic reasoning, reducing false positives and increasing accuracy.
- Machine learning-based behavior scoring: AI models self-learn from real data, assigning risk scores to accesses and detecting anomalies early.
- Extensive security rule database: Over 2,400+ continuously updated rules to address emerging threats promptly.
- Full protection aligned with OWASP Top 10: Blocks common attacks like Injection, XSS, CSRF, Brute Force, Webshell, Leech, Directory Traversal, and more.
- 24/7 Global SOC Monitoring and Support: Cybersecurity experts continuously oversee the system across multiple countries, ensuring timely incident response.
5. When Should Businesses Choose VNETWORK's AI WAF?
Businesses should deploy VNETWORK's AI WAF from the outset of operating websites or expanding online activities to proactively mitigate cybersecurity risks. Specifically, the solution is ideal when:
- Businesses aim to safeguard customer data and transactions against increasingly sophisticated threats.
- Websites handle high traffic volumes, frequent marketing campaigns, or e-commerce operations.
- Organizations require global performance and stability without interruptions from DDoS attacks or server failures.
- Businesses seek to establish a robust security foundation early, rather than addressing breaches after they occur.