This lab provides a hands-on introduction to API security and visibility using F5 Distributed Cloud Web App and API Protection (XC WAAP). As APIs continue to grow in number and complexity, they have become a primary target for cyberattacks. This lab explores how to discover, document, and secure both known and shadow APIs using the platform's API Discovery, Schema Validation, and Security Dashboards. Participants will learn how to: Send traffic through the F5 HTTPS Load Balancer to trigger API Discovery and the API Crawler Automatically generate and maintain an API inventory, including undocumented shadow APIs Apply OpenAPI Schema Validation to enforce API conformity and detect anomalies Gain deep insights through advanced API Security Dashboards, including threat levels, sensitive data exposure, authentication status, and risk scores Understand the importance of integrating DevSecOps practices by leveraging IaC and GitHub Actions for API protection deployment By the end of this lab, users will gain critical visibility into their API ecosystem, identify vulnerabilities, and take actionable steps to secure both documented and undocumented APIs—helping to bring shadow APIs into the light.

In the current AI market, the demand for scalable and secure deployments is increasing. Public cloud providers (AWS, Google, and Microsoft) are competing to provide GenAI infrastructure, driving the need for multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments. However, distributed deployments come with challenges, including: Complexity in managing multi-cloud environments. Lack of unified visibility across clouds. Inconsistent security and policy enforcement. F5 Distributed Cloud provides a solution by offering a seamless, secure, and portable environment for GenAI workloads across clouds. This lab will guide you through setting up and securing GenAI applications with F5 Distributed Cloud on AWS EKS and GCP GKE.

F5 Distributed Cloud WAF deployed on Regional Edge and App Connect Deployment mode. This deployment model offers an optimal solution for scenarios where backend applications are inaccessible from the internet, lacking a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) or Public IP. In this case Customer Edge sites can be deployed to connect these "private" customer sites to the XC Global Network via IPSEC tunnels opened from Distributed Cloud Customer Edges to the closes two REs sites. Distributed Cloud WAF is deployed on the Regional Edges, where the services are being advertised to the Internet through anycast IPs. Customer Edges are being deployed on the customer sites and connect to the closest RE and traffic will be inspected by the WAAF security policy. The traffic will then be forwarded across the distributed cloud global network towards an egress Regional Edge and then over an IPSEC tunnel to the Customer edge site where it will be forwarded to the backend applications as pure IP-based traffic.