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This week we explore AWS WAF Comprehensive logging. AWS WAF now supports full logging of all web requests inspected by the service. Customers can store these logs in Amazon S3 for compliance and auditing needs as well as use them for debugging and additional forensics. The logs will help customers understand why certain rules are triggered and why certain web requests are blocked. Customers can also integrate the logs with their SIEM and log analysis tools. 

For each web request, AWS WAF logs now provide raw HTTP/S headers along with information on which AWS WAF rules are triggered. This is useful for troubleshooting custom WAF rules and Managed Rules for AWS WAF. These logs will be made available via Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose in the JSON format.

Enabling AWS WAF full logs is done in two steps. First, on the Amazon Kinesis console, create an instance of the Amazon Kinesis Data Firehose in the relevant account(s). As part of this configuration, customers can choose a destination for the data from Amazon S3, Amazon ElasticSearch or Amazon RedShift. Customers can also leverage third-party tool(s) from Splunk or Sumo Logic to enable advanced SIEM solution, giving them a platform for advanced monitoring. Second, on the AWS WAF console, enable the logs and select the Firehose instance. When configuring, customers also have the option of redacting fields from web requests that they do not want to be logged.

There is no additional cost to enable logging on AWS WAF (minus Kinesis Firehose and any storage cost). For more details please visit AWS WAF Documentation

For further assistance please contact us on +27 11 540 2640 or email us at
aws@firstdistribution.com