How does a web application firewall (WAF) enhance cybersecurity?

A web application firewall (WAF) enhances cybersecurity primarily by monitoring and filtering incoming web traffic. Its main role is to protect web applications by inspecting HTTP/HTTPS requests and responses, which helps safeguard against various types of attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and session hijacking. The WAF analyzes traffic patterns to identify and block malicious requests, thus mitigating potential threats before they can exploit vulnerabilities in the web application.

The other options each describe security functions that are important but do not align with the specific purpose of a WAF. For example, scanning for viruses pertains to antivirus software rather than web traffic filtering. Encrypting data is a crucial practice for ensuring data confidentiality but doesn't specifically involve a WAF's core functionality. Blocking all incoming connections would prevent legitimate users from accessing the application, which is contrary to the goal of a WAF, which is to allow legitimate traffic while filtering out harmful requests.