Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall

This page provides information on how to purchase training for this course. It includes a description of the course, suggested prework, any required prerequisites, and links to purchase based on modality.

Key Info

COURSE ID:

F5-TRG-BIG-AWF-CFG

PRODUCT FAMILY:

BIG-IP

TITLE:

Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall

COURSE LEVEL:

Advanced

MODALITY:

Self-Directed Training (SDT), Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

LENGTH (DAYS/HOUR):

ILT - 4 Days

SDT - 33 Hours

LANGUAGES:

ILT - English, German
SDT - English

PRICE ($$/TU):

ILT - $4840 USD/88 TUs
SDT - $825 USD/15 TUs

CONTAINS HANDS-ON LABS?:

Yes

SDT details

Deploying F5 Advanced WAF is a curriculum bundle intended for Application Security Administrators responsible for the deployment of F5 Advanced Web Application Firewall to secure web applications from common vulnerabilities and denial of service. Course topics cover the identification and mitigation of web application vulnerabilities on both the client and application sides of the threat spectrum. Subject areas include Advanced WAF fundamentals, mitigating vulnerabilities, defending against Bots and other automated attacks, and additional deployments. Skills are imparted through a combination of video presentations and lab demonstrations, with accompanying job aids that provide configuration examples.


This course is intended for SecOps personnel responsible for the deployment, tuning, and day-to-day maintenance of F5 Adv. WAF. Participants will obtain a functional level of expertise with F5 Advanced WAF, including comprehensive security policy and profile configuration, client assessment, and appropriate mitigation types.

Advanced WAF: Fundamentals
  • Understanding Web Application Communication Elements
  • Understanding HTTP Request Headers and their Vulnerabilities
  • Understanding HTTP Response Headers and their Vulnerabilities
  • Understanding HTTP Response Status Codes
  • Differentiating HTTP from HTTS
  • Understanding Web Application Flow with F5 Advanced WAF
  • Understanding Today's Threat Landscape
  • Discover Web Application Vulnerabilities
  • Understanding Deployment Workflow and Configuration
  • Viewing and Interpreting Application Security Event Logs
  • Exploring the Rapid Deployment Policy Template
  • Using the Guided Configuration to Deploy an Application Security Policy
  • Managing an Application Security Policy After Deployment
  • Trigger and Review a Violation
  • Accept Requests and View Learning Suggestions
  • Handle Learning Suggestions
  • Manage Policy Enforcement Mode and Staging

    • Mitigating Vulnerabilities, Attacks, and Threats
  • Deploying and Managing F5-Supplied Attack Signatures
  • Creating User-Defined Attack Signatures
  • Deploying and Updating Threat Campaigns
  • Reporting and Logging Features
  • Understanding F5 Advanced WAF Administrative Logs
  • Managing Security Event Logging with Logging Profiles
  • Configuring a Remote Logging Profile for Application Security Events
  • Configuring Response Logging
  • Achieving PCI Compliance
  • Generate the PCI Compliance Report
  • Using the Login Enforcement Feature to Control Application Flow
  • Detecting and Mitigating Brute Force Attacks
  • Detecting and Mitigating Credential Stuffing Attacks
  • Using the Session Tracking Feature to Detect and Deter Bad Actors
  • Login Enforcement for Flow Control
  • Mitigating Brute Force Attacks
  • Mitigating Credential Stuffing
  • Reconnaissance with Session Tracking
  • Deploy Session Awareness and Log All Requests
  • Protecting Application Delivery on the Client with DataSafe
  • Securing a Login Page on the Client Using DataSafe
  • Protecting Against Sensitive Data Leakage with the Data Guard Feature
  • Protect against credit card number leakage using Data Guard

    • Defending against Bots and other Automated Attacks
  • Understanding L7 DoS Attacks Protections
  • Deploying TPS-Based DoS Protection
  • Deploying Stress-Based Protection
  • Deploying Behavioral DoS Protection
  • Deploying BaDoS Mitigation
  • Deploying TPS-based DoS Mitigation
  • Classifying Clients with the Bot Defense Profile
  • Configuring and Deploying a Bot Defense Profile
  • Protecting Against OWASP Automated Threats with Bot Defense Profile Microservices
  • Mitigate a Web Scraping Attack
  • Provide Login Protection
  • Provide Signup Protection
  • Deploy the Search Protection Microservice
  • Deploy the Shopping Cart Protection Microservice
  • Deploy the Checkout Protection Microservice
  • Deploy the Automated Form Submission Microservice
  • Deploy the Intellectual Property Harvesting Microservice
  • Deploy Custom Microservice Protection

    • Additional Deployment Options
  • Understanding Entities (URLs, File Types, Parameters, Cookies, and Redirection Domains)
  • Managing Entities through Policy Building and Traffic Learning
  • Learning with Never, Selective, and Always
  • Experiment with Learning and Enforcement
  • Learn Using the Compact Scheme
  • Securing Advanced WAF System Cookies
  • Protect Against Cookie Tampering
  • Secure HTTP Headers
  • Modify ASM Cookie Names
  • Secure Application Domain Cookies with Secure and HTTP-Only Attributes
  • Secure BIG-IP ASM Cookies with Secure and HTTP-Only Attributes
  • Protecting Web Application Parameters
  • Protect Static and Dynamic Parameters
  • Using Automatic Policy Building
  • Deploying an Application Security Policy Automatically
  • Creating and Deploying Layered Policies
  • Using iRules with an Application Security Policy
  • Deploy an iRule to Handle a Custom Violation
  • Log Violation Data and Send a Custom Response Page from an iRule
  • Implementing Geolocation Enforcement and IP Address Exceptions
  • Secure a Modern Single Page Application
  • Qualys Scan Integration
  • Manage Traffic with Layer 7 Local Traffic Policies

    • ILT details

    Learn to deploy and operate F5 Advanced WAF to protect web applications from the most critical security risks as described in the OWASP Top 10 list, from bots and other automated agents, and from Denial of Service (DoS) attacks operating at the HTTP layer of the web application delivery ecosystem. Through a combination of lecture, hands-on labs, and discussion, secure applications from the majority of common attacks by the end of the first day. Take technical deep dives into mitigating web scraping, account aggregation, account creation, ad fraud, CAPTCHA defeat, card cracking, carding, cashing out, credential stuffing, and other unwanted automated application abuse as described in the OWASP automated threats list.


    Observe various vulnerability mitigations in real time by playing the role of an attacker in lab exercises. Gain context for securing applications, including analysis of HTTP and the elements of both modern and traditional web applications such as file types, parameters, URLs, and login pages. Learn to recognize client and server-side technologies such as JSON and AJAX, and learn to address vulnerabilities that might be present in common application development tools such as PHP, AngularJS, and others.


    Review recommended practices for reporting, security event logging, and integration with third-party web application vulnerability scanners in detail. Follow prescribed step-by-step directions for activities initially, and gradually gain proficiency so that, by the end of class, little or no instruction is needed to complete simple to more complex configurations.


    This course is intended for SecOps personnel responsible for the deployment, tuning, and day-to-day maintenance of F5 Adv. WAF. Participants will obtain a functional level of expertise with F5 Advanced WAF, including comprehensive security policy and profile configuration, client assessment, and appropriate mitigation types. Experience with LTM and prior WAF knowledge are not required.

    Chapter 1: Introducing the BIG-IP System
  • Initially Setting Up the BIG-IP System
  • Archiving the BIG-IP Configuration
  • Leveraging F5 Support Resources and Tools
    • Chapter 2: Traffic Processing with BIG-IP
  • Identifying BIG-IP Traffic Processing Objects
  • Understanding Profiles
  • Overview of Local Traffic Policies
  • Visualizing the HTTP Request Flow
    • Chapter 3: Overview of Web Application Processing
  • Web Application Firewall: Layer 7 Protection
  • Layer 7 Security Checks
  • Overview of Web Communication Elements
  • Overview of the HTTP Request Structure
  • Examining HTTP Responses
  • How F5 Advanced WAF Parses File Types, URLs, and Parameters
  • Using the Fiddler HTTP Proxy
    • Chapter 4: Overview of Web Application Vulnerabilities
  • A Taxonomy of Attacks: The Threat Landscape
  • Common Exploits Against Web Applications
    • Chapter 5: Security Policy Deployments: Concepts and Terminology
  • Defining Learning
  • Comparing Positive and Negative Security Models
  • The Deployment Workflow
  • Assigning Policy to Virtual Server
  • Deployment Workflow: Using Advanced Settings
  • Configure Server Technologies
  • Defining Attack Signatures
  • Viewing Requests
  • Security Checks Offered by Rapid Deployment
    • Chapter 6: Policy Tuning and Violations
  • Post-Deployment Traffic Processing
  • How Violations are Categorized
  • Violation Rating: A Threat Scale
  • Defining Staging and Enforcement
  • Defining Enforcement Mode
  • Defining the Enforcement Readiness Period
  • Reviewing the Definition of Learning
  • Defining Learning Suggestions
  • Choosing Automatic or Manual Learning
  • Defining the Learn, Alarm and Block Settings
  • Interpreting the Enforcement Readiness Summary
  • Configuring the Blocking Response Page
    • Chapter 7: Using Attack Signatures and Threat Campaigns
  • Defining Attack Signatures
  • Attack Signature Basics
  • Creating User-Defined Attack Signatures
  • Defining Simple and Advanced Edit Modes
  • Defining Attack Signature Sets
  • Defining Attack Signature Pools
  • Understanding Attack Signatures and Staging
  • Updating Attack Signatures
  • Defining Threat Campaigns
  • Deploying Threat Campaigns
    • Chapter 8: Positive Security Policy Building
  • Defining and Learning Security Policy Components
  • Defining the Wildcard
  • Defining the Entity Lifecycle
  • Choosing the Learning Scheme
  • How to Learn: Never (Wildcard Only)
  • How to Learn: Always
  • How to Learn: Selective
  • Reviewing the Enforcement Readiness Period: Entities
  • Viewing Learning Suggestions and Staging Status
  • Defining the Learning Score
  • Defining Trusted and Untrusted IP Addresses
  • How to Learn: Compact
    • Chapter 9: Securing Cookies and other Header Topics
  • The Purpose of F5 Advanced WAF Cookies
  • Defining Allowed and Enforced Cookies
  • Securing HTTP headers
    • Chapter 10: Visual Reporting and Logging
  • Viewing Application Security Summary Data
  • Reporting: Build Your Own View
  • Reporting: Chart based on filters
  • Brute Force and Web Scraping Statistics
  • Viewing Resource Reports
  • PCI Compliance: PCI-DSS 3.0
  • Analyzing Requests
  • Local Logging Facilities and Destinations
  • Viewing Logs in the Configuration Utility
  • Defining the Logging Profile
  • Configuring Response Logging
    • Chapter 11: Lab Project 1 Chapter 12: Advanced Parameter Handling
  • Defining Parameter Types
  • Defining Static Parameters
  • Defining Dynamic Parameters
  • Defining Parameter Levels
  • Other Parameter Considerations
    • Chapter 13: Automatic Policy Building
  • Defining Templates Which Automate Learning
  • Defining Policy Loosening
  • Defining Policy Tightening
  • Defining Learning Speed: Traffic Sampling
  • Defining Track Site Changes
    • Chapter 14: Integrating with Web Application Vulnerability Scanners
  • Integrating Scanner Output
  • Importing Vulnerabilities
  • Resolving Vulnerabilities
  • Using the Generic XML Scanner XSD file
    • Chapter 15: Deploying Layered Policies
  • Defining a Parent Policy
  • Defining Inheritance
  • Parent Policy Deployment Use Cases
    • Chapter 16: Login Enforcement and Brute Force Mitigation
  • Defining Login Pages for Flow Control
  • Configuring Automatic Detection of Login Pages
  • Defining Brute Force Attacks
  • Brute Force Protection Configuration
  • Source-Based Brute Force Mitigations
  • Defining Credential Stuffing
  • Mitigating Credential Stuffing
    • Chapter 17: Reconnaissance with Session Tracking
  • Defining Session Tracking
  • Configuring Actions Upon Violation Detection
    • Chapter 18: Layer 7 Denial of Service Mitigation
  • Defining Denial of Service Attacks
  • Defining the DoS Protection Profile
  • Overview of TPS-based DoS Protection
  • Creating a DoS Logging Profile
  • Applying TPS Mitigations
  • Defining Behavioral and Stress-Based Detection
    • Chapter 19: Advanced Bot Defense
  • Classifying Clients with the Bot Defense Profile
  • Defining Bot Signatures
  • Defining F5 Fingerprinting
  • Defining Bot Defense Profile Templates
  • Defining Microservices protection
    • Chapter 20: Final Projects

    Prior Knowledge

    The following free Self-Directed Training (SDT) courses, although optional, are helpful for any student with limited BIG-IP administration and configuration experience:
  • Getting Started with BIG-IP
  • Getting Started with Local Traffic Manager (LTM)
  • Getting Started with F5 Advanced WAF

    • General network technology knowledge and experience are recommended before attending any F5 Global Training Services instructor-led course, including OSI model encapsulation, routing and switching, Ethernet and ARP, TCP/IP concepts, IP addressing and subnetting, NAT and private IP addressing, NAT and private IP addressing, default gateway, network firewalls, and LAN vs. WAN.

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    To view and/or purchase the SDT Course click here: View SDT

    Please find below the current active sessions for the ILT. If there are no sessions listed below and you would like to register your interest in attending the ILT version of this course please email: support@mail.education.f5.com

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - US Virtual (Jan 27, 2026): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - UK Virtual (Mar 9, 2026): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - German-Language Classroom (Feb 3, 2026): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - US Virtual (Mar 17, 2026): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - US Virtual (Dec 9, 2025): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - UK Virtual (Dec 16, 2025): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - UK Virtual (Feb 2, 2026): View ILT

    Configuring BIG-IP Advanced WAF: Web Application Firewall - German-Language Classroom (Dec 16, 2025): View ILT

    Continued Learning