Building a Secure and Scalable Foundation with Custom WAF and IaC Pipelines

Problem

When this client first engaged BSC Analytics, they were struggling with repeated malicious activity targeting one of their public web properties. Port scans, denial-of-service (DoS) attempts, and other probing attacks were not only taxing their infrastructure but also distracting their internal teams from focusing on business priorities.

Compounding the problem, their infrastructure had been built out through a patchwork of click-ops and ad-hoc scripting. This approach made it difficult to track changes, maintain consistency across environments, or deploy with confidence. The lack of structured processes left them vulnerable, inefficient, and without a clear path forward for sustainable growth.

Solution

BSC Analytics engineers immediately went to work by designing and deploying a custom Web Application Firewall (WAF) tailored to the client’s unique traffic profile. We implemented a set of advanced rules that automatically shut down malicious port scans, throttled and blocked DoS traffic, and safeguarded the web application from future probing attacks.
But we didn’t stop there. To ensure long-term resilience, we re-architected their deployment strategy around Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automated CI/CD pipelines. This shift allowed our engineers to:

• Safely build and test the new WAF and infrastructure in a dedicated development environment.
• Validate configurations and security posture before promoting changes to production.
• Enable repeatable, reliable deployments without manual intervention or guesswork.

By moving away from inconsistent manual operations, we set the client up with a modernized, scalable system capable of supporting future growth.

Benefits

The transformation was immediate and measurable:

• Improved security posture: The custom WAF rules virtually eliminated malicious port scanning and DoS disruptions.
• Confidence in deployments: IaC and pipelines enabled a safe dev-to-prod workflow with full traceability and rollback options.
• Operational efficiency: Engineers no longer waste cycles on manual changes or fighting preventable incidents, freeing them to focus on higher-value initiatives.
• Future-ready foundation: With a structured, automated environment, the client is now positioned to scale and innovate without worrying about fragile infrastructure.

Because BSC Analytics backs every engagement with our 24/7 NOC and help desk, the client has assurance that their systems remain protected and optimized around the clock. What began as a security fix became a full modernization journey—one that put this customer on the right path for sustainable success.