Under DDoS Attack? +1 866 926 4678 Login EN Start for Free Contact Us Products Solutions Industries Support Partners Customers Resources Home > Blog > 5 Things to Know About Imperva RASP 5 Things to Know About Imperva RASP Application Security Simon Dickerson Jun 16, 2020 2 min read Imperva Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) is a server-side security solution for applications, providing application security by default. Here are 5 things to know about Imperva RASP: 1. RASP and a WAF are complementary While a cloud-based web application firewall keeps previously known bad traffic off your infrastructure, what’s the best solution for mitigating the risk of unknown exploits? You guessed it: RASP. Imperva Cloud WAF is excellent for security at the edge (and for saving money on infrastructure costs). However, not all bad traffic is previously known (i.e. signatures/patterns haven’t always been determined, and bad guys are constantly changing tactics). There are even attacks targeting 0-day vulnerabilities found in your 3rd party software supply chain (e.g. Struts 2, WebLogic, etc.). For these scenarios, having Imperva RASP in place automatically mitigates the risk of exploits. For different security scenarios, WAF and RASP have their place as critical parts of defense in depth. 2. RASP is implemented at the server level The Imperva RASP solution is installed at the server level in the form of agents and modules. Note: It is not replacing the underlying virtual machine. RASP inspects the application payloads before they get to the database. According to the configuration, RASP will either do nothing, monitor, or block exploits that it detects. It does not require the application developers to change or add code Imperva RASP is implemented at the server level. It does not require the developers to implement code specific integration to the RASP security analysis. By adding the security layer separate from the application code, coupled with the run-time attack insights (below), application developers can easily prioritise code remediation. 4. It does not require rules or learning RASP inspects the payload data in the context of how the application will use it. It uses this contextual awareness to detect threats and provide the assurance that a particular payload will not be able to exploit any part of the application code. The ‘Language Theoretic’ mechanism for attack detection forms an important part of the Imperva RASP solution. Essentially, the solution is not beholden to a learning phase and there is not any requirement to use regular expressions or other methods of defining rules or attack signatures. 5. There is extensive visibility into runtime attacks With RASP you can determine which applications are actually under attack, and how, in real time. This can be effective in improving risk management and remediation efforts. With the RASP logs you can determine who (the origin of the threat), what (the nature of the threat such as the SQL and payload contents), where (url, line number, stack trace) and when (timestamp down to the nanosecond). The logs are JSON format and RASP has many SIEM integrations. Now that you have a good understanding of the basics of Imperva RASP, you might want to check out our other blog on how the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) now specifically outlines Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP) as a control to mitigate risk due to software security vulnerabilities. The addition of this control to the NIST framework emphasizes how automated application security instrumentation is becoming even more critical. Try Imperva for Free Protect your business for 30 days on Imperva. Start Now Try Imperva for Free Start Now Trending DDoS Mitigation ... DDoS attacks on VoIP and the urgent need for DDoS protection Grainne McKeever Oct 15, 2021 3 min read Application Security The ad blocker that injects ads Yohann, Ron Oct 13, 2021 4 min read Application Security Imperva Is a Magic Quadrant Leader for Web Application and API Protection Matthew Hathaway Sep 22, 2021 3 min read +1 866 926 4678 Partners Imperva Partner Ecosystem Channel Partners Technology Alliances Find a Partner Partner Portal Login Resources Imperva Blog Resource Library Case Studies Learning Center About Us Who We Are Events Careers Press & Awards Contact Information Network Network Map System Status Support Emergency DDoS Protection Support Portal Imperva Community Documentation Portal API Integration Trust Center Cookies Settings Trust Center Modern Slavery Statement Privacy Legal English Copyright © 2021 Imperva. All rights reserved Imperva uses cookies to improve your experience, deliver personalized content and analyze our traffic. You may modify your cookies settings at any time, as explained in our Cookie Notice Cookies Settings Accept All