Web application firewall for an online service

1. A method of updating a web application firewall running on a content server, comprising:

running a web accelerator configured to utilize scripts with a plurality of threads on the content server;

operating the web application firewall within the web accelerator, wherein the web application firewall is controlled by a plurality of rules, comprising:

a set of operating system rules;

a set of standard rules; and

a set of custom rules;

receiving, from a user, a rule update to at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules, and the set of custom rules; and

updating the plurality of rules based at least in part on the rule update without restarting the web accelerator.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules comprises a subset of an overall set of rules provided to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules includes a new rule provided by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules limits content provided to the user in response to a request for content.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the content server, a request for content;

the content comprising data to be provided to a web application;

processing the request for the content on at least one of the threads, including:

filtering, at a network level 3 or 4, the request for the content;

determining that the content will be requested from a second server;

after determining that the content will be requested from the second server, reviewing the request for the content with the web application firewall (WAF);

forwarding the request for the content to the second server;

receiving the content from the second server; and

providing the content.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second server is an origin server.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second server is a second content server within an infrastructure service.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the filtering step comprises comparing an address of a sender of the request for the content to a list of addresses.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining comprises using a hash table to determine whether the content is present in a cache in the content server.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of determining comprises using a hash table to determine whether the content is current in a cache in the content server.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules comprises a subset of an overall set of rules provided to the user.

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules limits content provided to the user in response to a request for content.

13. A content server, comprising:

a processor, comprising processing circuitry and a memory device, configured to run a web accelerator; the web accelerator configured to:

utilize scripts with a plurality of threads; and

operate a web application firewall controlled by a plurality of rules, comprising a set of operating system rules, a set of standard rules and a set of custom rules; and

a communication interface configured to receive, from a user, a rule update to at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules;

the processor further configured to update the plurality of rules based at least in part on the rule update without restarting the web accelerator.

14. The content server of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules comprises a subset of an overall set of rules provided to the user.

15. The content server of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules includes a new rule provided by the user.

16. The content server of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules limits content provided to the user in response to a request for content.

17. A computer apparatus in a content server within an infrastructure service, the computer apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable media; and

processing instructions stored on the at least one non-transitory computer readable media that, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to:

run a web accelerator configured to utilize scripts with a plurality of threads on the content server;

operate a web application firewall within the web accelerator, wherein the web application firewall is controlled by a plurality of rules, comprising:

a set of operating system rules;

a set of standard rules; and

a set of custom rules;

receive, from a user, a rule update to at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules, and the set of custom rules; and

update the plurality of rules based at least in part on the rule update without restarting the web accelerator.

18. The computer apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules comprises a subset of an overall set of rules provided to the user.

19. The computer apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules includes a new rule provided by the user.

20. The computer apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the set of operating system rules, the set of standard rules and the set of custom rules limits content provided to the user in response to a request for content.