The implementation of web application firewall (WAF) solutions can be a complex process, with multiple factors affecting the overall cost of deployment, maintenance, and upkeep. Enterprises should include total cost of ownership (TCO) as part of their evaluations, focusing on the following at a minimum:

• Acquisition costs for WAF devices and central management system (CMS)
• Fees paid to the vendor for annual maintenance, support, and signature updates
• Labor costs for installation, maintenance, and upkeep

This report is part of a series of Comparative Analysis Reports on security, performance, and total cost of ownership (TCO). In addition, an SVM Toolkit is available to NSS clients that allows for the incorporation of organization-specific costs and requirements to create a completely customized SVM.