An organization’s internet-facing website was compromised when an attacker exploited a buffer overflow. Which of the following should the organization deploy to best protect against similar attacks in the future?

A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is the best solution because it specifically protects web applications from common attacks like buffer overflows, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting (XSS) by filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic. It operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, inspecting the content of web requests and responses. A Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) offers broader network security but is less specialized in web application vulnerabilities than a WAF. TLS (Transport Layer Security) encrypts communication but does not prevent application-layer attacks like buffer overflows. SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Network) optimizes network connectivity and performance but does not provide direct security against application exploits.