The Importance of Web Security
Web security is the set of strategies and technologies that help keep data and computer systems safe from cyber attacks while enabling people to use websites as intended. It includes technical measures, coding practices, access control and user management. It is a core component of cybersecurity, and a critical component to the safety of remote workers.
A website without adequate security protocols can be an open door for bad actors to steal information, eavesdrop on conversations or even take over the site and its services. This can cost businesses time and money. It can also harm a company’s reputation and cause damage to customers.
Keeping a business website secure requires diligence in all aspects of its design and use. It starts with ensuring that software development teams use best practices to create code that is less vulnerable to attack. It continues through monitoring tools that detect and block threats like phishing sites, drive-by downloads and malware. It also requires vigilance in establishing and managing an identity, credential and access management (ICAM) strategy that protects users from compromised web servers and malicious content.
For example, if a server is compromised by a piece of malware that is delivered through an unprotected script, the threat actor can then use that code to eavesdrop on communications, send visitors to fake sites, display false information or hold a site hostage for ransom. To prevent these attacks, companies should implement two-factor authentication, monitors that detect and stop password breach attempts and encrypt sensitive information.
A web application firewall (WAF) helps prevent many of these types of attacks by inspecting traffic at the application layer and blocking outbound connections to malicious servers. It can also prevent malicious redirects by filtering outgoing URLs based on IP address or user agent string and can block remote file inclusion attacks by requiring that all input be validated.
Other threats that can be prevented with web security include SQL injections, which exploit the logic of a database by injecting malicious code into an unsuspecting user input field. Another threat is cross-site scripting, which takes advantage of the referencing function in HTML to download external files from a remote website. The ideal web security solution leverages multiple technologies to stop these threats, including firewalls, WAFs, URL and DNS filters, sandboxing appliances, and more.
To ensure that all of your employees can access your website and its services safely, it’s important to choose a web security solution with remote worker capabilities. Check Point’s Harmony Browse is a browser-based solution that gives remote workers a full suite of protections against Internet threats while preserving network performance. To learn more about how it can support your business, request a free demo.