# Web Application Firewall > Intelligent WAF blocks SQL injection, XSS attacks, and malicious traffic before it reaches WordPress. Real-time protection with zero performance impact. - Canonical: - HTML version: --- - [Overview](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/) - [Features](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/) [All Features](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/) [Firewall](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/firewall/) [Malware Scanner](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/malware-scanner/) [Vulnerability Scanner](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/vulnerability-scanner/) [Two-Factor Auth](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/two-factor-auth/) [Activity Logs](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/activity-logs/) - [Compare](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/free-vs-pro/) [Free vs Pro](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/free-vs-pro/) [vs Wordfence](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/vs-wordfence/) [vs Sucuri](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/vs-sucuri/) [vs Kadence Security](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/vs-kadence-security/) - [Pricing](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/pricing/) - [Docs](https://royalplugins.com/support/guardpress/) Overview All Features — Firewall — Malware Scanner — Vulnerability Scanner — Two-Factor Auth — Activity Logs Compare — Free vs Pro — vs Wordfence — vs Sucuri — vs Kadence Security Pricing Documentation Pro Feature Intelligent WAF analyzes every HTTP request in real-time, blocking SQL injection, XSS attacks, and malicious traffic before it ever reaches WordPress. By Jameson · Founder & Lead Developer [Get GuardPress Pro](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/pricing/) ![GuardPress Pro Firewall settings showing rate limiting, country blocking, and Web Application Firewall configuration](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/guardpress-firewall.webp) ## Comprehensive Attack Protection The GuardPress firewall is your first line of defense, analyzing every incoming request and blocking malicious traffic before it can harm your WordPress site. ### SQL Injection Detects and blocks attempts to inject malicious SQL queries through forms, URLs, and cookies. ### Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Prevents attackers from injecting malicious scripts that could steal user data or hijack sessions. ### Remote File Inclusion Blocks attempts to include remote files that could execute malicious code on your server. ### Directory Traversal Stops path manipulation attacks that try to access sensitive files outside the web root. ### Bad Bots & Crawlers Identifies and blocks malicious bots, scrapers, and fake crawlers attempting to exploit your site. ### Protocol Attacks Defends against malformed requests, HTTP protocol violations, and header injection attempts. ## How the Firewall Works Every request to your WordPress site passes through our intelligent firewall that blocks SQL injection, XSS attacks, and brute force logins. According to Wordfence, WordPress sites face an average of 90,000 attacks per minute in 2025. We engineered our firewall before reaching your application. Here's how it protects you: 1 ### Request Interception The firewall intercepts every incoming HTTP request at the earliest possible point, before WordPress even loads. This ensures malicious requests never touch your database or PHP execution. 2 ### Pattern Analysis Each request is analyzed against hundreds of attack signatures and patterns. We check URLs, query strings, POST data, cookies, headers, and user agents for known malicious patterns. 3 ### Reputation Check The visitor's IP is checked against our real-time threat intelligence database, which is continuously updated with known bad actors, spam networks, and attack sources. 4 ### Decision & Action Based on the analysis, the request is either allowed through, challenged with a CAPTCHA, or blocked entirely. All blocked requests are logged for your review. ## Fast & Efficient Protection Our firewall is engineered for performance. It adds minimal overhead while providing maximum protection. <1ms Average Processing Time 500+ Attack Signatures 99.9% Threat Detection Rate Unlike cloud-based firewalls that route all your traffic through external servers, GuardPress's firewall runs directly on your server. This means faster response times, no external dependencies, and your data never leaves your infrastructure. ## Firewall Features - **Customizable Rules:** Create your own firewall rules based on IP, URL, user agent, or any request parameter. - **Whitelist Mode:** Temporarily enable strict mode that only allows requests from whitelisted IPs during critical periods. - **Country Blocking:** Block or allow traffic based on geographic location with GeoIP filtering. - **Rate Limiting:** Automatically throttle IPs that make too many requests in a short period. - **Learning Mode:** Run the firewall in monitoring mode to see what would be blocked before enforcing rules. - **Real-Time Logs:** View blocked attacks in real-time with full request details for analysis. - **False Positive Protection:** Fine-tune sensitivity levels to prevent blocking legitimate users. - **Auto-Updates:** Rule definitions are automatically updated as new threats emerge. ## Related Security Features [### Malware Scanner Deep scanning finds malware, backdoors, and suspicious code hiding in your files.](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/malware-scanner/) [### Vulnerability Scanner Check plugins, themes, and core for known security vulnerabilities.](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/vulnerability-scanner/) [### Two-Factor Authentication Add an extra layer of login security with TOTP-based 2FA.](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/two-factor-auth/) [### Activity Logging Complete audit trail of all user actions and security events.](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/features/activity-logs/) ## Setup Guides [### Brute-Force Protection Setup Configure max attempts, lockout duration, and permanent ban threshold. Unlock legit users caught in the lockout.](https://royalplugins.com/support/guardpress/brute-force-protection-setup/) [### IP Blocking & Whitelisting Manual allow-list, deny-list, and auto-populated brute-force lockouts — three lists, three rules, one page.](https://royalplugins.com/support/guardpress/ip-blocking-whitelisting/) [### Country Blocking & Cloudflare Real-IP Geographic access rules, with the important note about how Cloudflare-fronted sites need real-IP restoration.](https://royalplugins.com/support/guardpress/country-blocking-cloudflare-real-ip/) [### MCP / OAuth Apps Locked Out Fix Claude, Apify, n8n, or Make automation getting caught by the firewall or brute-force counter.](https://royalplugins.com/support/guardpress/mcp-oauth-apps-locked-out/) ## Protect Your WordPress Site Today Get the Web Application Firewall and all other GuardPress Pro features with a single license. [View Pricing](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/pricing/) [Compare Free vs Pro](https://royalplugins.com/guardpress/free-vs-pro/)