The Importance of Web Security

The Internet has become a critical channel for communication, entertainment and most of the work-related tasks in our lives. This is why web security is a must for organizations of all sizes. Using strategies, infrastructure, training, and monitoring, it protects data and internet network resources from web-based threats and malware.

Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly evolving their attacks to bypass legacy protections and steal information or cause disruptions. The cost of these attacks can include direct financial losses, disruption to business operations, or damage to a company’s reputation.

These attacks can take many forms, from stolen credentials or intellectual property to a full-scale DDoS attack that can bring down your website or stop customers from being able to access it. The good news is that you can protect your servers and data with modern, scalable web security solutions.

One way is with a web application firewall that blocks automated attacks. This includes malicious bots or malware that scan websites for vulnerabilities they can exploit, or phishing sites trying to steal user credentials. It can also stop attacks that try to break into the server with brute force or cryptanalytic tools to get around passwords or encryption.

Another approach is to use a content inspection solution. This can detect threats such as malware, phishing, ransomware, and bots by analyzing all traffic to the site. It can also look for known bad URLs, block those that violate corporate policy, and impose bandwidth limitations on certain types of sites.

You can also protect your web applications with a secure browser, such as HTTPS. This protocol uses cryptography to encrypt all communications between the browser and the server, which keeps data private. This is especially important when a customer or employee enters sensitive information. It can help keep your company and their information safe from attackers and prevent them from using stolen credit card information or passwords to access other accounts.

Many companies rely on third-party software or services for functions such as payment processing, or to support features like login pages or search. If these tools are abused, attackers can gain access to the data being processed or passed along, or even inject malicious code into the application. This type of attack is called a supply chain threat, and it can lead to Magecart attacks that skim credit card information from ecommerce websites, or other attacks such as a DDoS on a payment processor’s site.

Stopping these attacks is a full-time job. Every day new zero-day threats emerge, and they must be stopped before they can do harm. The best way to do that is with a comprehensive solution that combines web filtering, content inspection, malware detection and prevention, and data loss prevention into a single platform that can be deployed on-premises, in the cloud, or on a gateway appliance.

Clearswift provides a complete set of web security products that are available as a fully integrated suite, or as individual modules that can be added to your existing systems. This portfolio is designed to give businesses of all sizes a broad set of protections available as on-premises, cloud, or gateway appliances.