Web Security – The First Line of Defense Against Cyberattacks
Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, resulting in a host of issues for organizations including a loss of business revenue, operational disruptions, and reputational damage. Web security is your first line of defense against these threats and must be a critical component of any cybersecurity infrastructure.
What is web security?
Web security refers to any technology that keeps hackers and malware from manipulating your computer systems and software. It maintains the smooth operation of your business by ensuring that no one can disrupt or tamper with the services you offer to customers.
The internet is a massive tool for business, but it also opens up your company to attacks from malicious insiders and outside attackers. With advances in cloud and mobility technologies, the traditional network perimeter has disappeared and your employees can connect from anywhere and on any device, opening up your organization to a wide attack surface. A good web security strategy can help you protect your data and assets from these threats by blocking access to malicious content, securing sensitive information, and detecting and preventing malware infections and data exfiltration.
Data Breach Protection:
A major cause of damage to organizations is when hackers break into a website and steal or download confidential information. This can lead to everything from lost customer trust to regulatory fines. A good web security solution can block phishing, drive-by downloads, and other types of malicious content from reaching employees’ devices.
It can also block access to compromised sites and detect any backdoors that allow hackers to enter your network from outside. For example, advanced persistent threats (APTs) create backdoors on the host machine and spread to other computers in your network without you even knowing it. A good web security solution can scan and sanitize your entire application portfolio for these vulnerabilities.
Other common issues include cross-site scripting (XSS) and remote file inclusion (RFI), where hacker code can be injected into the website to open vulnerabilities in your system and potentially expose your information or install malicious tools. Another issue is a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS) where attackers flood your site with traffic in order to slow down or interrupt service for days at a time.
These issues can cost your organization a lot of money. You’ll need to pay for a cybersecurity response, forensics, regulatory support, public relations support, and insurance premiums. In addition, the tarnish to your brand can lead to a loss of revenue as customers move their business elsewhere. Keeping your web security up-to-date with the latest threat detection methods can mitigate these risks and keep your company protected from expensive cyberattacks.