What is the Azure Application Gateway WAF Triage Workbook?
The Azure Application Gateway WAF Triage Workbook is a powerful tool designed to streamline the management of Web Application Firewall (WAF) policies. Deploying a WAF and enabling prevention mode is the bare minimum—effective security management requires continuous monitoring and analysis of logs. Many securities frameworks mandate that these logs be retained and regularly reviewed as part of a mature cybersecurity process. However, Azure logs often require Kusto queries to extract meaningful insights and create dashboards, making them difficult to navigate for non-experts. This workbook eliminates that complexity by providing administrators with a single, intuitive interface to monitor triggered policies, identify affected listeners, and track the timing of events. Additionally, it offers direct access to the official OWASP GitHub repository, enabling developers and administrators to understand how HTTP traffic is assessed and make necessary rule or code adjustments accordingly. By acting as a meaningful dashboard, this workbook simplifies security management while enhancing visibility and control over WAF operations.
Key Benefits:
- Simplifies Troubleshooting: Provides an easy way to diagnose traffic issues when applications traverse an Application Gateway with default WAF rules enabled.
- Near Real-Time Monitoring: Displays results from as soon as five minutes ago, up to 90 days in the past, allowing administrators to track both recent activity and historical trends.
- Transaction ID Filtering: Enables filtering by transaction ID, making it easier to pinpoint specific requests.
Challenges It Addresses:
- Developer Access to Logs: When given access, developers can independently diagnose access or web traffic issues related to their applications and websites.
- Simplified Administration: Reduces the complexity of managing WAF policies by providing a more user-friendly alternative to raw logs.
- Streamlined Request Processing: Makes it easier to request changes to the ruleset.
- No Kusto Query Language (KQL) Required: Eliminates the need for administrators or developers to learn KQL to query logs.
- Efficient Request Filtering: If the transaction ID is known, specific requests can be quickly filtered and analysed.
Implementation Considerations
- Log Ingestion Required: Application Gateway and WAF policy logs must be ingested into a Log Analytics workspace for the workbook to function.
- Triage by URL: The ‘Triage by URL’ page allows filtering based on a specific path (e.g., www.website.com/app). This makes it easy to identify all logs related to a specific application or endpoint.
- Compatibility: The workbook is only compatible with Application Gateway v2.
- Log Analytics Dependency: Since it relies on Log Analytics, proper ingestion and retention policies must be in place.
Real World Example
One of our State Government customers faced recurring issues with requests and traffic frequently being blocked by various rules within their WAF policy. Developers lacked visibility into why these requests were failing, leading to time-consuming investigations involving IT teams.
By implementing the WAF Triage Workbook:
- Developers gained direct access to logs and could troubleshoot access issues independently.
- They were able to adjust their codebase and web requests as needed without IT intervention.
- The frequency of WAF-related support requests was significantly reduced, improving overall operational efficiency.
Alternative: Using Azure Logs with Kusto Query Language (KQL)
Solution | Pros | Cons |
Azure Logs + KQL | Powerful and flexible for querying logs | Requires KQL knowledge |
Direct integration with Azure services | Logs are unformatted and hard to read | |
WAF Triage Workbook | No KQL required | Requires Log Analytics setup |
Pre-formatted, easy-to-use interface | Only works with Application Gateway v2 | |
Quick filtering and historical lookups |
Key Takeaways:
- Minimal Cost, Maximum Value: The workbook is a cost-effective resource that enhances visibility and simplifies WAF policy management.
- Reduces IT Overhead: Developers can diagnose and address WAF-related issues without relying on IT teams.
- Real-Time & Historical Insights: Enables near real-time monitoring while providing access to 90 days of historical data.
For organisations using Azure Application Gateway with WAF policies, this workbook is a game-changer, making security management more efficient, accessible, and developer-friendly.
Wondering if the Azure Application Gateway WAF Triage Workbook is the right fit for you? Contact our team today!