How does a Web Application Firewall (WAF) help mitigate Layer 7 DDoS attacks?

A WAF acts as a security shield for web applications by inspecting HTTP/HTTPS traffic and identifying malicious requests. It can detect and block various attack vectors, including those used in Layer 7 DDoS attacks, such as HTTP floods, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS). WAFs typically use a combination of signature-based detection, behavior analysis, and rate limiting to filter malicious traffic.