The Importance of Web Security
The massive growth in the importance of the internet for modern businesses and the corresponding rise in the sophistication, frequency, and impact of cyberattacks has made web security a critical part of any online business strategy. Without the proper web security in place, businesses face many challenges including loss of valuable customer data, expensive ransom payments to hackers, compliance violations, reputational harm, and more.
Web security is a collection of technologies that work together to protect websites and the systems they run on from common threats like malware, viruses, ransomware, phishing attacks, MITM attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS), and more. The ideal web security solution leverages multiple technologies to stop all of these threats at once—building a holistic defense against the most serious threats.
Authentication and authorization are two of the most important aspects of web security, and they are frequently confused. Authentication refers to verifying that an entity is who it claims to be, while authorization refers to granting the entity access to resources or a specific action. To avoid web security vulnerabilities, developers should use security frameworks to validate user input and prevent common misconfiguration problems such as code injection, remote file inclusion, and backdoor shells.
In addition to preventing these types of attacks, a web security system must also be designed to keep passwords secure, prevent the installation of malware in local networks, stop phishing scams, and prevent unauthorized access after credentials are stolen or bypassed. This includes using two-factor authentication, implementing timeouts on logins, limiting the number of failed login attempts, and providing education and resources to help users understand online dangers.
Another major concern is the risk of a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS). These attacks involve hijacked devices flooding servers with traffic to shut them down or cause them to crash. This can impact revenue, cause lost productivity, and disrupt service to customers. In some cases, attackers may even target the infrastructure itself.
Finally, it’s essential that a website is compliant with PCI/DSS guidelines, has an SSL certificate (DV, OV, or EV), and uses a secure HTTPS connection. This is why it’s important to have a strong web security provider that can monitor these protocols for breaches and other issues, as well as provide tools to correct them quickly. In addition, a robust web security tool should include web application firewalls, 2-factor authentication, IP address blockers, and SSL certificates for all domains owned by the business. It should also be able to detect and prevent DNS poisoning, IP spoofing, and other malicious activities. Keeping these tools updated is essential to staying ahead of the most dangerous threats.