The Challenge
Regulatory compliance requirements like PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, and GDPR impose strict security controls on web applications that handle customer data. These frameworks mandate specific technical safeguards including encryption in transit, secure HTTP headers, protection against common web vulnerabilities, and documented security practices. Non-compliance exposes your business to regulatory fines, failed audits, lost customer trust, and exclusion from enterprise sales opportunities.
Implementing compliance controls often requires deep security expertise and significant development time. Security headers must be configured correctly across all endpoints, SSL/TLS settings need ongoing updates to address new vulnerabilities, and HTTPS enforcement must work reliably without breaking legitimate functionality. Many development teams lack the specialized knowledge to implement these controls properly, leading to misconfigurations that auditors quickly identify.
The compliance landscape constantly evolves, with new requirements emerging and existing standards updating their technical specifications. What passed an audit last year may not satisfy this year’s requirements. Maintaining compliance requires continuous monitoring, updating security configurations as new best practices emerge, and documenting changes for audit purposes—all while shipping new features and managing day-to-day development priorities.
How Expedited WAF Helps
Expedited WAF provides compliance-ready security controls that implement industry best practices for HTTPS, security headers, and encryption. Our platform handles the technical complexity of security configuration, keeping your Heroku application aligned with evolving compliance requirements without requiring specialized security expertise from your development team.
Compliance Framework Guides
We’ve created detailed guides for each major compliance framework, covering specific requirements and how Expedited WAF addresses them on Heroku.
PCI DSS Compliance
For organizations processing credit card payments. Covers Requirements 4, 6, 10, and 11.
HIPAA Compliance
For healthcare applications handling PHI. Covers Security Rule technical safeguards.
SOC 2 Compliance
For SaaS and cloud service providers. Covers Trust Service Criteria CC6 and CC7.
FedRAMP Compliance
For federal government cloud providers. Covers NIST 800-53 controls.
ISO 27001 Compliance
For international security certification. Covers Annex A controls.
GDPR Compliance
For applications processing EU personal data. Covers Articles 25, 32, and 33.
Framework Requirements Overview
Below is a summary of how Expedited WAF addresses each framework. See the individual guides above for detailed implementation checklists.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
Who needs it: Any organization that processes, stores, or transmits credit card data.
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| Requirement | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| Req 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data | Enforces TLS 1.2+ on all connections, rejecting insecure protocols |
| Req 6: Develop secure systems | Blocks OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities including SQL injection and XSS |
| Req 6.4: Virtual patching | Provides immediate protection for newly discovered vulnerabilities |
| Req 10: Track and monitor access | Comprehensive logging of all requests and blocked attacks |
| Req 11: Regular security testing | Continuous WAF rule updates based on emerging threats |
TLS Requirements: PCI DSS requires TLS 1.2 minimum. See our TLS configuration guide for details.
Read the full PCI DSS Compliance Guide →
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
Who needs it: Healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and their business associates handling Protected Health Information (PHI).
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| Requirement | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| §164.312(e)(1): Transmission Security | Enforces TLS 1.3 encryption for all data in transit per 2025 requirements |
| §164.312(a)(1): Access Controls | IP blocking, geo-blocking, and rate limiting restrict unauthorized access |
| §164.312(b): Audit Controls | Detailed request logging for audit trail requirements |
| §164.306(a): Security Standards | Protection against common web vulnerabilities |
| §164.308(a)(1): Security Management | Continuous threat monitoring and automatic rule updates |
TLS Requirements: 2025 HIPAA updates require TLS 1.3 for data in transit. Compliance deadline is December 31, 2025. See our TLS configuration guide.
Read the full HIPAA Compliance Guide →
SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2)
Who needs it: SaaS companies and service providers that store customer data in the cloud.
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| Trust Service Criteria | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| CC6.1: Logical Access Controls | IP allowlisting, geo-blocking, and authentication layer protection |
| CC6.6: Security Against Threats | Real-time blocking of OWASP Top 10 attacks and malicious traffic |
| CC6.7: Transmission Security | TLS 1.2+ enforcement and HTTPS redirection |
| CC7.1: Detection of Threats | Continuous monitoring and alerting on attack patterns |
| CC7.2: Monitoring for Anomalies | Rate limiting and bot detection identify unusual activity |
TLS Requirements: SOC 2 expects TLS 1.2+ as industry best practice. See our TLS configuration guide.
Read the full SOC 2 Compliance Guide →
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program)
Who needs it: Cloud service providers selling to U.S. federal government agencies.
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| NIST 800-53 Control | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| SC-8: Transmission Confidentiality | TLS 1.2+ with FIPS-approved cipher suites |
| SC-13: Cryptographic Protection | Strong encryption standards per NIST SP 800-52 Rev 2 |
| SI-3: Malicious Code Protection | WAF rules block injection attacks and malicious payloads |
| SI-4: System Monitoring | Comprehensive logging and real-time threat detection |
| AC-4: Information Flow Enforcement | Geo-blocking and IP restrictions control data flows |
TLS Requirements: FedRAMP follows NIST SP 800-52 Rev 2, requiring TLS 1.2 minimum with TLS 1.3 recommended. See our TLS configuration guide.
Read the full FedRAMP Compliance Guide →
ISO 27001
Who needs it: Organizations seeking internationally recognized information security certification.
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| Annex A Control | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| A.10.1: Cryptographic Controls | TLS 1.2+ encryption and security headers |
| A.13.1: Network Security | WAF protection, DDoS mitigation, and traffic filtering |
| A.13.2: Information Transfer | Forced HTTPS ensures secure data transmission |
| A.14.1: Security in Development | Protection against OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities |
| A.12.4: Logging and Monitoring | Detailed audit logs for security event tracking |
TLS Requirements: ISO 27001 requires “state of the art” encryption—auditors interpret this as TLS 1.2 minimum. See our TLS configuration guide.
Read the full ISO 27001 Compliance Guide →
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Who needs it: Any organization processing personal data of EU residents.
Key requirements Expedited WAF addresses:
| GDPR Article | How Expedited WAF Helps |
|---|---|
| Art. 32: Security of Processing | Technical measures including encryption and access controls |
| Art. 25: Data Protection by Design | Security headers and HTTPS enforcement built-in |
| Art. 33: Breach Notification | Attack logging helps identify and investigate security incidents |
| Art. 5(1)(f): Integrity and Confidentiality | Protection against unauthorized access and data breaches |
TLS Requirements: GDPR requires “appropriate technical measures”—TLS 1.2+ is the accepted standard. See our TLS configuration guide.
Read the full GDPR Compliance Guide →
Key Features
Security Headers: Automatically implement and manage security headers including Content-Security-Policy, Strict-Transport-Security, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options that satisfy compliance requirements.
HTTPS Enforcement: Force all traffic to HTTPS with proper redirect handling, preventing insecure transmissions that violate compliance mandates and expose customer data.
Modern SSL/TLS: Configure current SSL/TLS versions and cipher suites that meet compliance standards while deprecating outdated protocols that auditors flag as vulnerabilities.
Compliance Reporting: Generate detailed reports documenting your security configurations and showing continuous compliance with security requirements throughout audit periods.
Benefits
- Pass security audits with properly configured HTTPS, headers, and encryption controls
- Reduce compliance implementation time from weeks to hours with pre-configured security settings
- Maintain continuous compliance as requirements evolve with automatic security updates
- Document security controls with comprehensive logs and reports for audit evidence
Implementation
For Heroku Applications
Expedited Security implements compliance controls at the edge, before requests reach your Heroku dynos. This approach ensures that security headers, HTTPS enforcement, and SSL/TLS configurations are applied consistently across your entire application without code modifications.
Installation is straightforward: add the Expedited Security add-on to your Heroku application, configure your required compliance controls through our dashboard, and update your DNS to route traffic through our edge protection layer. Most compliance controls are active within minutes.
Step-by-Step Guides:
- How to Enable Security Headers on Heroku
- How to Force HTTPS on Heroku
- How to Choose What Heroku SSL/TLS Option to Use
For Other Platforms
Expedited Security supports compliance requirements for applications on any infrastructure. Our platform provides the same security controls for AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and self-hosted environments. Contact our team to discuss your specific compliance needs.
Related Resources
Compliance Guides
- TLS Version Requirements by Framework - Detailed breakdown of minimum TLS versions required by PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and ISO 27001
- OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities on Heroku - How to protect against the most critical web application security risks
Security Implementation
- How to Enable Security Headers on Heroku - Configure CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and other compliance-required headers
- How to Force HTTPS on Heroku - Ensure all traffic uses encrypted connections
Related Use Cases
- OWASP Top 10 Protection - Address critical web application security risks required by most compliance frameworks
- Virtual Patching - Maintain compliance during vulnerability remediation windows with temporary security patches
- DDoS Protection - Meet availability requirements mandated by compliance frameworks
- Bot Traffic Blocking - Protect against automated attacks and credential stuffing
Get Started
Accelerate your compliance journey with security controls that meet PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, FedRAMP, ISO 27001, and GDPR requirements. Expedited WAF provides the security controls you need to pass audits and protect your Heroku application. Schedule a demo to review your compliance gaps, or implement security controls immediately with our self-service option.