For several years now, ransomware has remained one of the greatest threats in the world of cybersecurity. It is a type of attack in which malicious software encrypts data or blocks access to systems and then demands a ransom for unlocking them. Any company—regardless of industry, size, or level of security—can fall victim to ransomware. Even worse, modern ransomware campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often combining social engineering techniques with the exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications and configuration errors in infrastructure.

Therefore, effective protection cannot rely solely on antivirus software and backups. Infrastructure-level solutions that operate at the network and application traffic layers—such as the Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Application Delivery Controller (ADC)—are becoming increasingly important. These are often the systems that determine whether an attack is stopped before it can cause real damage.

How ransomware infiltrates IT environments

Ransomware most often enters infrastructure through application vulnerabilities, user negligence, or security gaps. The most common attack vectors include:

• Unpatched vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs,
• Malicious attachments in phishing emails,
• Lack of network segmentation and traffic monitoring,
• Misconfigured access rules for servers and cloud services.

In many cases, cybercriminals don’t attack server infrastructure directly—they exploit weaknesses in web applications to inject malicious code. This is precisely where WAF and ADC play a crucial role, as they can stop such traffic before it reaches production systems.

Web Application Firewall – the guardian of the application layer

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a solution that analyzes and filters HTTP/HTTPS traffic directed at applications. Its purpose is to protect against the most common application-layer attacks—such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF), and Remote File Inclusion (RFI).

Modern application firewalls use behavioral analysis and machine learning mechanisms to identify unusual traffic patterns and block requests that may pose a threat. With real-time security rule updates, WAFs protect applications against new types of attacks that traditional network firewalls might miss.

In the context of ransomware, a WAF prevents infections resulting from application code flaws—it blocks attempts to upload malicious files or execute scripts that could install ransomware on the server.

Application Delivery Controller – performance and security in one

An Application Delivery Controller (ADC) is the next generation of the classic load balancer. It not only distributes traffic among servers but also manages, optimizes, and protects the delivery of applications.

An ADC acts as an intelligent checkpoint—it analyzes traffic, offloads servers from encryption tasks (SSL Offload), accelerates page loading (caching and compression), and protects applications against overloads and DDoS attacks. Importantly, many modern ADCs—such as NetScaler (formerly Citrix NetScaler) or F5 BIG-IP—integrate WAF functionality, creating a comprehensive security and performance system within a single device.

As a result, ADCs not only maintain application performance during an attack but also automatically block suspicious traffic before it reaches application servers.

How WAF and ADC work together

WAF and ADC form a layered protection architecture (defense in depth), where each component performs a distinct yet complementary function. ADC is responsible for load balancing, access control, and optimizing application delivery, while WAF focuses on analyzing request content and blocking attempts to exploit code vulnerabilities.

Together, they:

• Detect anomalies in network traffic,
• Isolate malicious requests from production applications,
• Block attacks targeting application logic,
• Ensure service continuity even during infection attempts or infrastructure overloads.

With this architecture, companies can not only protect their data but also maintain service availability—even during intense network attacks accompanying ransomware campaigns.

NetScaler – Combining WAF and ADC in a single solution

More and more organizations are choosing integrated solutions that combine Web Application Firewall and Application Delivery Controller functionalities in one product. One of the best examples is NetScaler—an enterprise-class ADC offering both load balancing and built-in WAF protection.

NetScaler analyzes all HTTP/HTTPS traffic, filters suspicious requests, protects against application-level attacks, and ensures system stability even under heavy load. By combining performance, security, and flexibility, it’s an ideal solution for organizations seeking to both accelerate their applications and protect them from cyberattacks, including ransomware.

How Hawatel helps companies protect against ransomware

The Hawatel team specializes in designing and implementing security architectures based on WAF and ADC. We help companies:

• Analyze network risks and configurations,
• Implement security policies and WAF rules,
• Integrate ADC with monitoring and SIEM systems,
• Train IT teams in incident response.

Through this approach, organizations working with Hawatel gain high availability, performance, and protection for their web applications—regardless of infrastructure type or scale.

Summary

Ransomware is one of the most serious threats facing companies today, but modern network and application solutions make it possible to prevent it effectively. Web Application Firewall (WAF) and Application Delivery Controller (ADC) together form a strong line of defense—they detect and block malicious traffic, prevent exploitation of vulnerabilities, and maintain system availability.

In a world where every second of downtime means real losses, investing in solutions that combine security with performance is essential.

If you want to learn how to implement WAF, ADC, or an integrated platform such as NetScaler in your organization, contact the Hawatel experts. We’ll help you build an environment resilient to modern cyber threats.