A non-profit organization plans to implement a load balancer to manage increased web traffic to its online services. Additionally, the organization needs to provide enhanced web traffic protection, as the recent increases in traffic have also included some malicious activity targeting its online services. Which of the following represents the best solution in this scenario?

1 answer

In this scenario, the organization should consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) along with a load balancer. This combination will not only help manage the increased web traffic but also provide essential protection against malicious activities.

Here’s a breakdown of the solution:

  1. Load Balancer:

    • Distributes incoming web traffic across multiple servers, ensuring that no single server is overwhelmed and improving the overall performance and reliability of the online services.
    • It enhances redundancy, enabling the organization to continue operating smoothly even if one of the servers fails.
  2. Web Application Firewall (WAF):

    • Protects web applications from various types of attacks, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common threats.
    • It works by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet, allowing legitimate traffic and blocking potentially harmful requests.
    • A WAF can also help with mitigations against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which may be a concern given the increase in malicious traffic.

Additional Considerations:

  • DDoS Protection Service: Depending on the threat level of malicious traffic, the organization might also consider incorporating a dedicated DDoS protection service that can absorb and mitigate large-scale attacks.
  • Content Delivery Network (CDN): Utilizing a CDN can further enhance performance and security by caching content closer to users and providing additional layers of protection against attacks.

By implementing both a load balancer and a WAF, the non-profit organization can effectively handle increased legitimate traffic while protecting against malicious activities, ensuring smoother and safer online services for its users.