Fastly Next-Gen WAF
Fastly Next-Gen WAF is the Signal Sciences engine delivered on Fastly's global edge platform. It is known for a low false-positive rate: instead of brittle signature rules, it uses threshold-based detection that watches how requests behave before blocking, which teams can run in production without constantly tuning around legitimate traffic.
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HOW IT WORKS
It protects both traditional web apps and APIs, adds account-takeover and malicious-bot defences, and can be deployed multiple ways: at the Fastly edge, embedded in the application, or as a reverse proxy in front of any origin. That flexibility suits engineering teams that want WAF coverage across a mixed estate.
This is an enterprise, developer-oriented platform, priced by quote rather than a self-serve tier. For a small website, a site-owner cloud WAF (Cloudflare, Sucuri) is the right fit; Fastly targets teams protecting significant traffic and APIs at the edge.
Category context: Edge and cloud WAF platforms for larger sites and APIs, with managed rules, bot defence, and DDoS at global scale. Usually custom-priced.
WHAT IT DOES
- WAF and API protection at the Fastly edge
- Signal Sciences detection (SmartParse, threshold blocking)
- Account takeover and bot defence
- Runs at the edge, in-app, or as a reverse proxy
BEST FOR
- High-traffic sites and API-heavy platforms
- Teams wanting low-false-positive, production-ready blocking
- Estates needing edge, in-app, and reverse-proxy deployment
ALTERNATIVES TO FASTLY NEXT-GEN WAF
The most widely used cloud WAF and CDN, filtering attacks at the DNS edge before they reach your origin.
Compare →Enterprise WAF, DDoS, and API protection on one of the world's largest edge networks.
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Compare →FASTLY NEXT-GEN WAF FAQ
What is Fastly Next-Gen WAF?
Fastly Next-Gen WAF is a web application and API firewall built on the Signal Sciences engine and delivered through Fastly's edge network. It uses threshold-based detection rather than pure signatures to keep false positives low, and can be deployed at the edge, in the application, or as a reverse proxy.
How much does Fastly Next-Gen WAF cost?
Fastly Next-Gen WAF is an enterprise product priced by custom quote based on traffic, requests, and deployment model, rather than a fixed self-serve tier. It is aimed at engineering teams protecting significant web and API traffic, not small single-site owners.
Is Fastly Next-Gen WAF the same as Signal Sciences?
Yes, in lineage. Signal Sciences was a well-regarded WAF company that Fastly acquired in 2020; its detection engine became the Fastly Next-Gen WAF, now delivered on Fastly's edge platform with continued development under the Fastly brand.
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