Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-304) Practice Test

The Web Application Firewall (WAF) is specifically designed to protect web applications from various threats, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks. WAF achieves this by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet. It operates by applying a set of predefined rules that cover common attack patterns, enabling it to detect and block malicious requests that might compromise the security of the application.

WAF is particularly effective for protecting applications hosted in Azure, as it integrates seamlessly with Azure services like Azure Application Gateway. While the other features listed, such as Azure Application Gateway, Azure Firewall, and Azure VPN Gateway, provide their own types of security and functionality, they are not primarily focused on defending against web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting.

Azure Application Gateway, for example, is primarily a load balancer with some security features, but its main function is to route traffic. Azure Firewall offers network security primarily at the network layer rather than the application layer, and Azure VPN Gateway is focused on secure network connectivity rather than web application protection. Therefore, WAF is the most direct and effective solution for securing web applications against the specific threats mentioned.