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.

This WWT Lab will provide a hand on experience of F5 Distributed Cloud WAF deployed on Regional Edge in deployment mode. This deployment mode is better suited when protecting backend applications which are already public accessible from the internet via FQDN or Public IP. F5 Distributed Cloud WAF is deployed on the Regional Edges, where the services are being advertised to the internet through anycast IPs. The end users will connect to their closest Regional Edge and the traffic will be inspected by the WAF security policy. The traffic will then be forwarded across the XC Global Network towards an egress Regional Edge and then towards the customer site as regular internet traffic. The customer will filter the traffic, only allowing traffic forwarded by the XC platform.

In this lab, users will experience F5 Distributed Cloud Web App and API protection (WAAP), where organizations can simplify their path to effective security without sacrificing continued business innovation and customer demand. An API-driven approach to application protection enables improved collaboration between networks, security operations, and developers. This lab will use Terraform to deploy a Web App and API protection solution that protects an existing application

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.