Managing a website’s performance and security is crucial for any business, especially when unexpected issues arise. In this case study, we explore how an Australian business faced significant website downtime and excessive bandwidth usage, and how implementing Cloudflare’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) provided a solution.
The Problem
Our client, an Australian business catering exclusively to domestic customers, was experiencing multiple issues with their website. They received numerous notifications from Jetpack indicating that their website was frequently going offline. Moreover, they noticed an unusually high bandwidth consumption, exceeding 50GB per month. This was puzzling since their target market was solely within Australia.
Investigating the Issue
To diagnose the problem, we delved into the website’s statistics and discovered an unexpected pattern. A significant portion of the traffic was originating from outside Australia. This foreign traffic was not only irrelevant to their business but also likely contributing to the high bandwidth usage and the frequent downtimes.
Implementing the Solution
To address this, we implemented Cloudflare’s Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules. Cloudflare WAF is a powerful tool that helps protect websites from malicious traffic and potential threats. By configuring the WAF rules to block any traffic originating from outside Australia, we aimed to restrict access to the website strictly to domestic visitors.
Results
The impact of implementing Cloudflare WAF was immediate and substantial. The bandwidth usage dropped drastically, aligning more closely with the expected usage for an Australia-only business. Additionally, the website’s performance improved significantly, with reduced downtime and a more reliable user experience for the target audience.
This case study underscores the importance of monitoring website traffic and understanding its sources. For businesses operating within specific geographic boundaries, tools like Cloudflare WAF can be instrumental in optimizing performance and ensuring security. By filtering out unnecessary and potentially harmful traffic, businesses can maintain a high level of service for their intended customers and avoid the pitfalls of excessive bandwidth usage and frequent downtimes.
