Myths Unmasked: Haunting App Security Misconceptions
Have you ever checked for monsters under the bed? What about the ones lurking around your apps?
From advanced ransomware to automated attacks, modern cyber threats are relentlessly targeting your critical apps and services. Many businesses believe they're shielded from these dangers, but hidden blind spots could be leaving your applications—and organization—vulnerable. In this blog post, we unpack some common app security myths, explain why trusted defenses are crucial, and detail how F5 and AWS help keep your business secure, connected, and performing smoothly—even when threats go bump in the night.
Myth 1 | Traditional security has me covered
Cyber threats have evolved, increasing the sophistication, scale, and impact of bad actors. At the same time, the environments requiring protection have also changed, with modern businesses now running apps simultaneously across data centers, clouds, and the edge. The challenge? Relying on traditional security tools can create gaps in protection, leaving critical services vulnerable to a new wave of stealthier, more advanced attacks.
To effectively safeguard your application estate, protections must evolve alongside cyber threats. F5 Distributed Cloud Web App and API Protection (WAAP) and AWS dramatically simplify operations to secure applications wherever they run. This enables organizations to implement consistent security measures broadly across AWS and non-AWS workloads to prevent OWASP Top 10, zero-day, DDoS, bot-based, and other attacks.
Myth 2 | APIs are the least of my worries
API adoption has skyrocketed as businesses shift to cloud- and microservices-based architectures. However, security is sometimes an afterthought, leaving interfaces vulnerable and creating a direct pathway for bad actors to compromise systems and data. With 90% of web-based cyberattacks targeting API endpoints, today’s businesses must prioritize API security to safeguard their digital estate.
F5 Distributed Cloud API Security and AWS enable you to achieve proper oversight, control, and protection of your growing API layer. Now you can discover unknown APIs with ease, standardize and enforce security policies across all APIs, prevent malicious connections, and defend new and legacy interfaces from attack, all from a centralized location.
Myth 3 | Developers build in security
DevOps teams are under increased pressure to bring innovative apps to market faster. Security controls, although critical, are often perceived as obstacles that slow development cycles and delay the deployment of new services. As a result, many DevOps teams attempt to integrate security later in the process, driving up cost and complexity while increasing the likelihood of gaps in protection.
With F5 and AWS, developers can build effective and consistent protections early in app lifecycles without compromising speed and scale. Together, F5 and AWS enable security to be directly incorporated within CI/CD pipelines, rather than waiting for production. This means DevOps teams can implement effective app protection from the outset—reducing security oversights while accelerating delivery cycles.
Myth 4 | Multicloud connectivity is case-by-case
Hybrid and multicloud strategies can be complex. They're also the new norm, as findings from our 2024 State of Application Strategy Report show the majority of organizations now run apps across at least four different environments, with roughly 40% managing six or more. Traditional data center network topologies also weren’t designed for the cloud, leaving many businesses without adequate connectivity and uniform security.
Instead of using a piecemeal, environment-by-environment approach, organizations can securely connect their multicloud investments using F5 and AWS. With Amazon VPC Lattice, businesses get a simplified way to link disparate cloud apps and on-premises environments to their AWS instances. F5’s secure multicloud networking, powered by the F5 Global Network, extends these capabilities by establishing and maintaining secure connections to services outside of AWS. This combination provides a secure fabric to reshape how businesses connect their apps, infrastructure, and clouds—without the complexity of traditional networking tools.
Don’t rely on outdated security practices that leave your business vulnerable. With F5 and AWS by your side, you can keep digital monsters at bay while ensuring your apps stay secure and resilient against the threats of today—and tomorrow.
Enhance your app security. Visit f5.com/aws.