What's the difference between a proxy and a WAF (Web Application Firewall) in DDoS defense?

While both protect against attacks, they operate at different layers. A proxy primarily focuses on absorbing and filtering traffic at the network and transport layers (Layer 4 & 7). A WAF, on the other hand, specializes in analyzing and blocking malicious requests at the application layer (Layer 7), often using signature-based detection and behavioral analysis. Proxies can often integrate with WAFs for a layered defense.