Systems and methods for dynamically varying web application firewall security processes based on cache hit results

1. A computer-implemented method for dynamically varying web application firewall security processes based on cache hit results, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying, at the computing device, a request directed to a web application resource protected by the computing device;

determining, in response to identifying the request, whether a response to the request will be served from a cache stored on the computing device;

determining, based at least in part on whether the response to the request will be served from the cache, a level of security processing to apply to the request; and

applying the determined level of security processing to the request.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises identifying an administrator-defined level of security processing to apply to the request; and

applying the determined level of security processing to the request comprises applying the administrator-defined level of security processing to the request.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the response to the request will be served from the cache stored on the computing device; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining, by applying the lowered level of security processing to the request, that the request does not represent a security risk; and

serving the request with the response from the cache stored on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined level of security processing is further based on at least one of:

at least one characteristic of the request; and

at least one characteristic of the web application resource to which the request is directed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the request is associated with an authenticated user; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the web application resource to which the request is directed serves static content that does not require user input; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, by applying the determined level of security processing to the request, a potential security risk associated with the request; and

performing, in response to identifying the potential security risk, a security action in an attempt to ameliorate the potential security risk.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises at least one of:

a web application firewall device; and

a gateway.

10. A system for dynamically varying web application firewall security processes based on cache hit results, the system comprising:

a memory device;

an identifying module, stored in the memory device, that identifies a request directed to a web application resource protected by the system;

a first determining module, stored in the memory device, that determines, in response to identifying the request, whether a response to the request will be served from a cache stored on the system;

a second determining module, stored in the memory device, that determines, based at least in part on whether the response to the request will be served from the cache, a level of security processing to apply to the request;

an applying module, stored in the memory device, that applies the determined level of security processing to the request; and

at least one physical processor that executes the identifying module, the first determining module, the second determining module, and the applying module.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein:

determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises identifying an administrator-defined level of security processing to apply to the request; and

applying the determined level of security processing to the request comprises applying the administrator-defined level of security processing to the request.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the response to the request will be served from the cache stored on the system; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising:

a third determining module, stored in the memory device, that determines, by applying the lowered level of security processing to the request, that the request does not represent a security risk; and

a serving module, stored in the memory device, that serves the request with the response from the cache stored on the system.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the determined level of security processing is further based on at least one of:

at least one characteristic of the request; and

at least one characteristic of the web application resource to which the request is directed.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the request is associated with an authenticated user; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the level of security processing to apply to the request comprises:

determining that the web application resource to which the request is directed serves static content that does not require user input; and

lowering the level of security processing to apply to the request.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the identifying module, stored in the memory device, identifies, by applying the determined level of security processing to the request, a potential security risk associated with the request and further comprising a performing module, stored in the memory device, that performs, in response to identifying the potential security risk, a security action in an attempt to ameliorate the potential security risk.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the system comprises at least one of:

a web application firewall device; and

a gateway.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify, at the computing device, a request directed to a web application resource protected by the computing device;

determine, in response to identifying the request, whether a response to the request will be served from a cache stored on the computing device;

determine, based at least in part on whether the response to the request will be served from the cache, a level of security processing to apply to the request; and

apply the determined level of security processing to the request.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein:

the computer-executable instructions that cause the computing device to determine the level of security processing to apply to the request comprise computer-executable instructions to cause the computing device to identify an administrator-defined level of security processing to apply to the request; and

the computer-executable instructions that cause the computing device to apply the determined level of security processing to the request comprise the computer-executable instructions that cause the computing device to apply the administrator-defined level of security processing to the request.