What Is Web Security?

Web security is a set of preventative measures that protect website assets and infrastructure from various threats. This includes everything from protecting websites against phishing attacks to blocking data exfiltration, all the while meeting compliance standards and addressing vulnerabilities in web applications. In a world where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly damaging and sophisticated, neglecting website security is simply not an option.

In addition to preventing attacks, implementing preventative web security measures can help companies improve SEO and website visibility. This is because search engines such as Google penalize unsecured websites.

Technical Measures

Web security solutions protect against a wide range of threats, from SQL injection attacks to DDoS attacks. They also include encrypting web servers, ensuring the correct application of web-based best practices, such as input validation and secure password storage, as well as minimizing third-party plugins and software. Additionally, deploying a web application firewall (WAF) allows IT administrators to inspect traffic on an individual basis, with access granted only to approved actions.

Coding and Design Best Practices

These practices ensure that all data passing through a business website is encrypted, protecting it from interception by threat actors. They also minimize the chance of attacks through poorly designed or coded websites and apps. This is achieved by deploying a WAF, which sits between the web server and the data connection. It reads all the traffic, and then identifies and blocks malicious activities or those that violate corporate policy. This is often complemented by security scanners that scan websites for known malware and viruses, blacklisting status and website errors.

Malware Protection

The most common threat against websites is malware, which can take many forms such as a virus, worm, trojan, spyware, or botnets. When exploited, they can damage a computer system, steal confidential information, or even take over a whole network. Examples of recent major malware attacks include the 2017 NotPetya attack, which shut down companies such as airports, banks, and gas stations; and the 2021 LinkedIn hack, which compromised 700 million user passwords.

Reputational Risks

Aside from the monetary cost of cyberattacks, there are other significant costs associated with losing trust in a company. Whether through a cyber-ransom attack, the loss of customer data, or even an embarrassing headline, businesses that suffer from security breaches often find it takes months to rebuild consumer trust.

With the cost of cybercrime expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2025, investing in preventative web security is no longer an option, but a necessity for all types of organizations. The good news is that there are a variety of web security tools available to businesses of all sizes, and with proper planning and implementation, it’s possible to keep threats at bay. To learn more about web security and how it can protect your business, contact the experts at LRS Web Solutions. We offer a full suite of web-related services, including website development and hosting, SEO, content marketing, analytics, photography and videography services and more.