Web applications are a common target for automated and manual attacks. Many security and compliance frameworks include requirements for detecting and preventing these threats.
The Vercel WAF enables teams to inspect, filter, and control HTTP(S) traffic at the edge with configurable protections that support alignment with technical controls, such as application-layer security, access restriction, change management, and threat detection.
Vercel WAF serves as a key technical safeguard within a broader compliance strategy. The Vercel WAF allows teams to define rules based on IP address, geolocation, request headers, path, rate, and payload structure. These controls help reduce risk exposure to common web application threats:
- SQL injection
- Cross-site scripting (XSS)
- Credential stuffing
- API abuse
- Bot-based enumeration
These protections are configurable and operate at the edge of the Vercel infrastructure, helping customers reduce risk exposure across critical services.
In addition to traffic filtering, the Vercel WAF provides operational capabilities that map to security framework controls and support demonstration of compliance:
Firewall rules are versioned and auditable in the Vercel dashboard. Log activity includes metadata (timestamp, user, configuration details).
- Mapped to: ISO/IEC 27002:2022 8.15, 8.32; SOC 2 CC8.1, CC7.2; PCI DSS 10.2.1
Rules can restrict access by IP address, CIDR range, headers, geolocation, or path supporting network segmentation and the principle of least privilege.
- Mapped to: ISO/IEC 27002:2022 5.15, 5.18; SOC 2 CC6.1; HIPAA 164.312(a)(1); PCI DSS 6.4-6.4.2
Support for Rate Limiting and anomaly detection
Request rate controls limit abusive behavior and reduce exposure to attempted scraping or brute-force attacks. Anomalous traffic is logged for analysis.
- Mapped to: ISO/IEC 27002:2022 8.16; SOC 2 CC7.2; PCI DSS 10.2.1, 10.4.1
Triggered rules generate request logs that include IP address, headers, path, and matched rule that may support incident review and response controls.
- Mapped to: ISO/IEC 27002:2022 8.15; SOC 2 CC7.3; HIPAA 164.312(b); PCI DSS 10.2.1, 10.4.1
Instant rollback of WAF configuration
Teams can quickly revert WAF rule changes to a previous state without downtime. This minimizes the impact of misconfigurations and supports secure, controlled change management processes. Rollback functionality contributes to operational resilience and assists recovery workflows during security or deployment-related incidents.
- Mapped to: ISO/IEC 27002:2022 8.32, 5.27; SOC 2 CC8.1; PCI DSS 6.5-6.5.2
Each of these capabilities help meet common control objectives across application-layer protection and continuous monitoring practices, and incident response readiness...
The table below outlines how Vercel WAF capabilities correspond to specific requirements across multiple security and regulatory frameworks:
Framework | Control(s) | Requirement(s) | Description of WAF Support |
|---|---|---|---|
PCI DSS v4.0 | |||
6.4.1-6.4.2 | Web application-layer protection | Configure OWASP Top 10 rules with Managed Rulesets | |
6.5-6.5.2 | Change management | WAF rule changes are versioned and auditable; Instant rollback supports controlled changes | |
10.2.1 | Logging and alerting | Detailed logs and reports on security events and blocked traffic and threats | |
10.4.1 | Threat analysis | Provides the ability to analyze anomalous traffic for event correlation; Links directly to Monitoring queries that can be used to conduct deeper investigations | |
ISO/IEC 27002:2022 | |||
5.15 | Access control | Enables policy requirements with the ability to restrict access by IP, geo, or path | |
5.18 | Access rights | Enforces principle of least privilege by limiting access routes and exposure | |
5.27 | Incident detection and response | Supports investigations for anomalous or malicious activity that may help reduce the likelihood and impact of future incidents | |
8.15 | Logging activities | Captures request metadata and generates centralized logs of request activity and configuration changes | |
8.16 | Continuous monitoring | Inspects inbound application traffic and generates detailed logs of requests and security events; logs can be exported to monitoring tools for continuous review | |
8.32 | Change management | Rule and configuration changes are versioned and auditable with instant rollback support | |
SOC 2 Type 2 | |||
CC6.1 | Access control | Supports access control policies based on IP address, path, and request metadata to limit exposure of public routes and interfaces | |
CC7.2 | Continuous monitoring | Enables continuous monitoring through logging and alerting workflows | |
CC7.3 | Incident response and detection | Provides anomaly detection and integration with various SIEMs and alerting systems to reinforce system integrity | |
CC8.1 | Change management | Rule and system changes are documented, versioned and auditable; previous configurations can be restored without downtime | |
HIPAA Security Rule | |||
164.312(a)(1) | Access control | Applies request filtering to restrict access to routes that may expose ePHI, supporting edge-layer access control | |
164.312(b) | Audit controls for system activity | Logs request metadata, rule matches, and actions; supports audit review and traceability |
This mapping is provided to help teams understand how Vercel WAF can support the implementation of common technical safeguards and in no way constitutes compliance or legal advice from Vercel. Actual alignment depends on how the WAF is configured and used within customer environments. Customers are responsible for determining the appropriate use of these controls based on their own architecture, risk posture, and compliance needs. We encourage consultation with appropriate advisors on how to configure these features to maintain compliance with relevant security laws and standards.
For more details on roles and responsibilities, refer to our Shared Responsibility Model. For resources on configuring the Vercel WAF please refer to our Docs.