diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-deploy-frontend.yml b/.github/workflows/build-deploy-frontend.yml
index a13c5bcb..70ee384d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-deploy-frontend.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-deploy-frontend.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ jobs:
       - uses: ./.github/actions/build-frontend
         name: Build frontend
         with:
-          api-endpoint: https://reportvision-middleware-dev.azurewebsites.net/
+          api-endpoint: https://reportvision-middleware-dev.azurewebsites.net
           frontend-tarball: ./frontend.tgz
           frontend-path: ./frontend
           frontend-build-path: ./frontend/dist/
diff --git a/frontend/api/api.ts b/frontend/api/api.ts
index f99dfaac..b0978eee 100644
--- a/frontend/api/api.ts
+++ b/frontend/api/api.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "./types/types";
 
 const apiUrl = import.meta.env.VITE_API_URL || "http://localhost:8000/";
-const middlewareURL =  import.meta.env.VITE_MIDDLEWARE_API_URL || "http://localhost:8000/";
+export const middlewareURL =  import.meta.env.VITE_MIDDLEWARE_API_URL || "http://localhost:8000";
 
 export const AlignImage = async (
   args: AlignImageArgs,
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ export const ImageToText = async (
     labels: JSON.stringify(fieldNames),
   });
 
-  const imageToTextURL = `${middlewareURL}api/image_file_to_text`;
+  const imageToTextURL = `${middlewareURL}/api/image_file_to_text`;
   try {
     const response = await fetch(imageToTextURL, {
       method: "POST",
diff --git a/frontend/src/types/templates.ts b/frontend/src/types/templates.ts
index d331a394..e0f29400 100644
--- a/frontend/src/types/templates.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/types/templates.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Organization, Page, User } from "./models.ts";
 import { create } from "zustand";
 import { Shape } from "react-image-label";
+import {middlewareURL} from "../../api/api.ts";
 
 export interface Template {
   id: string;
@@ -19,11 +20,9 @@ export interface Template {
 
 type TemplateStatus = "Completed" | "In Progress" | "Deprecated";
 
-const MIDDLEWARE_URL =
-  import.meta.env.VITE_MIDDLEWARE_API_URL || "http://localhost:8081";
 export const TemplateAPI = {
   getTemplates: async (): Promise<Template[]> => {
-    const response = await fetch(`${MIDDLEWARE_URL}/templates`);
+    const response = await fetch(`${middlewareURL}/templates`);
     if (!response.ok) {
       throw new Error("Unable to fetch templates");
     }
diff --git a/ops/terraform/locals.tf b/ops/terraform/locals.tf
index 9f97e24c..b89969f8 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/locals.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/locals.tf
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ locals {
       websubnetcidr        = "10.0.3.0/24"
       lbsubnetcidr         = "10.0.4.0/24"
       dbsubnetcidr         = "10.0.5.0/24"
+      appgwsubnetcidr      = "10.0.6.0/24"
     }
   }
   demo = {
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ locals {
       websubnetcidr        = "10.1.3.0/24"
       lbsubnetcidr         = "10.1.4.0/24"
       dbsubnetcidr         = "10.1.5.0/24"
+      appgwsubnetcidr      = "10.1.6.0/24"
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/ops/terraform/main.tf b/ops/terraform/main.tf
index 840789b8..393dd6ec 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/main.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/main.tf
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ module "networking" {
   ocrsubnetcidr        = local.workspace["ocrsubnetcidr"]
   middlewaresubnetcidr = local.workspace["middlewaresubnetcidr"]
   dbsubnetcidr         = local.workspace["dbsubnetcidr"]
+  appgwsubnetcidr      = local.workspace["appgwsubnetcidr"]
   env                  = local.environment
 
   # The DNS zone and DNS link are managed inside the networking module.
@@ -43,10 +44,10 @@ module "app_gateway" {
   resource_group_location = data.azurerm_resource_group.rg.location
   resource_group_name     = data.azurerm_resource_group.rg.name
 
-  blob_endpoint = module.storage.primary_web_host
-  lb_subnet     = module.networking.lbsubnet_id
-  tags          = local.management_tags
-  env           = local.environment
+  blob_endpoint   = module.storage.primary_web_host
+  appgw_subnet_id = module.networking.appgwsubnet_id
+  tags            = local.management_tags
+  env             = local.environment
 
   fqdns_ocr        = module.ocr_api.app_hostname
   fqdns_middleware = module.middleware_api.app_hostname
diff --git a/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/main.tf b/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/main.tf
index 2395b15b..ffe8e489 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/main.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/main.tf
@@ -39,13 +39,27 @@ resource "azurerm_application_gateway" "load_balancer" {
   location            = var.resource_group_location
 
   sku {
-    name     = "Standard_v2"
-    tier     = "Standard_v2"
+    name = "WAF_v2"
+    tier = "WAF_v2" # WAF tier depreciated, set to WAF_v2 tier 
+    # capacity = 2
+  }
+
+  autoscale_configuration {
+    min_capacity = 2
+    max_capacity = 5
+  }
+
+  # Enable Web Application Firewall
+  waf_configuration {
+    enabled          = true
+    firewall_mode    = "Prevention" # to block malicious traffic
+    rule_set_type    = "OWASP"
+    rule_set_version = "3.2"
   }
 
   gateway_ip_configuration {
-    name      = "${var.name}-gateway-ip-configuration"
-    subnet_id = var.lb_subnet
+    name      = "${var.name}-gateway-ip-configuration-${var.env}"
+    subnet_id = var.appgw_subnet_id
   }
 
   # ------- Static -------------------------
@@ -272,9 +286,4 @@ resource "azurerm_application_gateway" "load_balancer" {
       }
     }
   }
-
-  autoscale_configuration {
-    min_capacity = 0
-    max_capacity = 5
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/variables.tf b/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/variables.tf
index 075aadd3..ed911168 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/variables.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/modules/app_gateway/variables.tf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 variable "name" {}
 variable "resource_group_name" {}
 variable "resource_group_location" {}
-variable "lb_subnet" {}
+variable "appgw_subnet_id" {}
 variable "blob_endpoint" {}
 variable "tags" {}
 
@@ -19,4 +19,4 @@ variable "ip_addresses" {
   type    = list(string)
   default = []
 }
-variable "env" {}
\ No newline at end of file
+variable "env" {}
diff --git a/ops/terraform/modules/network/main.tf b/ops/terraform/modules/network/main.tf
index c498ef68..d36676fc 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/modules/network/main.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/modules/network/main.tf
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ resource "azurerm_virtual_network" "vnet" {
   address_space       = [var.vnetcidr]
 }
 
+resource "azurerm_subnet" "appgw_subnet" {
+  name                 = "${var.name}-appgw-subnet-${var.env}"
+  virtual_network_name = azurerm_virtual_network.vnet.name
+  resource_group_name  = var.resource_group
+  address_prefixes     = [var.appgwsubnetcidr]
+  service_endpoints = [
+    "Microsoft.Sql",
+    "Microsoft.Storage",
+  ]
+}
+
 resource "azurerm_subnet" "web-subnet" {
   name                 = "${var.name}-web-subnet-${var.env}"
   virtual_network_name = azurerm_virtual_network.vnet.name
diff --git a/ops/terraform/modules/network/outputs.tf b/ops/terraform/modules/network/outputs.tf
index ed901463..12f941da 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/modules/network/outputs.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/modules/network/outputs.tf
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ output "websubnet_id" {
   description = "Id of websubnet in the network"
 }
 
+output "appgwsubnet_id" {
+  value       = azurerm_subnet.appgw_subnet.id
+  description = "ID of the appgwsubnet in the network"
+}
+
 output "dbsubnet_id" {
   value       = azurerm_subnet.db-subnet.id
   description = "Id of dbsubnet in the network"
diff --git a/ops/terraform/modules/network/variables.tf b/ops/terraform/modules/network/variables.tf
index 7a8a63e3..79be04fb 100644
--- a/ops/terraform/modules/network/variables.tf
+++ b/ops/terraform/modules/network/variables.tf
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ variable "ocrsubnetcidr" {}
 variable "env" {}
 variable "middlewaresubnetcidr" {}
 variable "dbsubnetcidr" {}
+variable "appgwsubnetcidr" {}
 
 variable "location" {
   default = "eastus2"