Security is often viewed as a barrier to growth and scalability, right?
Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise operating in containerized environments, what you need is scalable, highly customizable solutions that easily integrate into your infrastructure. In this ideal world, I cannot see how security would ever be considered an obstacle to growth.
What if I told you that this ideal world exists? Allow me to introduce you to the CrowdSec Web Application Firewall (WAF)!
The CrowdSec WAF is a powerful and compact solution that combines the classic benefits of a WAF with CrowdSec’s unique crowd-powered and behavior-based approach.
- Easy setup and effortless scalability
You can activate AppSec in CrowdSec with just a flip of a switch on our web server remediation components, giving you immediate protection for Nginx, Traefik, HAProxy, and more. - Powerful rule sets and optimization for modern environments
CrowdSec WAF makes it easy to build and test custom AppSec rules using its comprehensive Domain-Specific Language (DSL). It’s also a cattle-friendly WAF that works seamlessly in Kubernetes and Docker environments. - Cost-effective open source solution
CrowdSec reduces overhead by simplifying security management with its community-driven updates, helping your team stay focused on critical tasks. Best of all, the CrowdSec WAF is entirely free to use, offering enterprise-level security without any licensing fees.
Easy setup and effortless scalability
Security shouldn’t be complicated, and CrowdSec makes it easy to get your WAF up and running in just minutes.
A CrowdSec Security Engine install basically consists of 3 logical components:
- One or more behavior analysis engines that raise alerts (Log Processors)
- The Local API that stores alerts and remediation decisions
- One or more Remediation Components (previously known as bouncers) that apply the appropriate remediation within a service. There are many implementations of those Remediation Components, from iptable to Cloudflare, without forgetting, of course, the web server and reverse proxy Remediation Components: NGINX, Traefik, HAproxy, and more, all listed on our Hub.
To turn your CrowdSec install into a WAF, simply activate “AppSec” on your bouncer and it will be able to send the request parameters to a Log processor where appsec rules and advanced scenarios can be run (either inband or out of band).
Note: For a first try, we recommend sticking to the default configuration encompassing basic rules + vpatching, and later, if you’re confident with the use of CRS, you can also use that configuration. Here is the documentation for turning your CrowdSec installation into a full-fledged WAF thanks to our AppSec components.
CrowdSec offers an extensive catalog of AppSec rules, and if you’re already using ModSecurity rules, CrowdSec supports them natively—allowing you to use your existing setup seamlessly.
But what sets CrowdSec apart is its effortless scalability. Traditional WAFs often struggle to scale because they require individual deployments on each node or instance, which increases complexity as your infrastructure grows. In contrast, CrowdSec uses lightweight components that benefit from the memory of past behaviors within the central LAPI and a shared vision of an attacker’s behavior across multiple endpoints, allowing for more efficient protection.
This architecture also allows CrowdSec to scale effortlessly in containerized environments like Kubernetes and Docker, where new instances are spawned dynamically. With CrowdSec’s centralized WAF, you can secure each new container or service without additional configurations, making it a perfect fit for modern infrastructures.
Powerful rule sets and optimization for modern environments
CrowdSec WAF natively supports legacy ModSecurity rules, but one of its strengths is CrowdSec’s Domain-Specific Language (DSL), allowing it to easily build and test AppSec rules.
This allows CrowdSec and its community to release and test rules in record time, which is especially important for one of CrowdSec WAF’s biggest advantages over other WAFs: a collaborative effort towards virtual patching.
CrowdSec community submits well-tested virtual patching rules that CrowdSec teams can curate in record time.
And you can benefit from those rules as soon as they are released.
Another useful customization that CrowdSec WAF offers is a disengage mechanism that ensures your application continues running smoothly, even under heavy traffic. If a request exceeds a specific latency threshold (e.g., more than 10ms), you can automatically switch to alternative responses like CAPTCHA, temporary bans, or even bypass the WAF entirely. This flexibility prevents application lock-ups, ensuring both security and user experience are optimized.
Cost-effective and open source
If my previous arguments didn’t convince you to choose the CrowdSec WAF, this one will!
CrowdSec WAF is extremely cost-effective. Traditional WAFs not only come with steep licensing fees but also require dedicated teams to manage complex configurations and constant updates. CrowdSec simplifies this with its community-driven rule sets, ensuring you benefit from the latest threat intelligence without the heavy operational costs for no licensing fee
The open source nature of the project also allows for full transparency and further cost reduction.
Simplify your application security with CrowdSec
CrowdSec brings a fresh approach to WAF by making security easy to set up, customizable for modern infrastructures, and cost-effective. Whether you’re running a Kubernetes cluster or protecting a single application, CrowdSec’s architecture and lightweight components ensure effortless scalability and consistent protection.
With powerful features like virtual patching, community-sourced threat intelligence, and flexible remediation, CrowdSec is built for today’s dynamic environments. And best of all, it’s open source — giving you enterprise-level protection without the hefty price tag.
Get started with CrowdSec today and see how easy it can be to protect your applications. You can also join us on Discord if you have any questions or feedback — always happy to chat!
