What Is Web Security?

Web security is the set of tools, strategies and practices that safeguard a website or web application from cyber threats. It encompasses many different areas of cybersecurity, from the architecture of a site to regular software updates and strong authentication practices. The goal of web security is to keep a company’s digital platforms secure, reliable and available, especially when it comes to sensitive information and revenue-generating transactions.

The most common cyber threats to websites include phishing, malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and code injections. Attackers use these to steal customer data, display false information, redirect users to fake sites, and in some cases hold a site hostage (ransomware).

DDoS attacks occur when an attacker floods a server or network with fake requests in an attempt to take down the site. This often results in the site being unresponsive or slow for legitimate users. Web security includes solutions that identify and block bad traffic, while allowing valid requests to pass through.

Malware refers to malicious programs, like viruses, worms, Trojans and spyware, that are used to steal data, disrupt or destroy systems, or gain unauthorized access to networks. Examples of significant malware attacks include the 2017 NotPetya attack that affected energy companies, airports and other public utilities, causing over $10 billion in losses worldwide.

Effective website security must cover all aspects of a web application, from the browser itself to the server configuration. For example, encrypting data with HTTPS makes it harder for hackers to eavesdrop on transactions or intercept login credentials.

Another way to protect a web application is by making sure all input is validated. This can be done by ensuring that all forms are secured, that cookies only contain encrypted data and that the server only accepts requests that match a whitelist of allowed values.

In addition to browser-based vulnerabilities, other common threats to websites include malicious redirects, XSS attacks and search engine optimization spam. Malicious redirects happen when a user is sent to a fake site that looks like the original, but contains hidden links or images that redirect the user to an exploited website. XSS attacks leverage flaws in modern browsers to target vulnerable websites. Search engine optimization spam uses bots to generate fraudulent traffic by inserting hidden keywords into search engine results.

A web security solution should sit between a web user and the Internet, so it has a deep level of visibility into all traffic. It should also have robust functions that inspect traffic and data to prevent malware infections, policy violations, and other unwanted actions. These functions can be housed in an appliance (such as a Secure Web Gateway, or SWG) or as part of a cloud-delivered platform. Hardware stacks can lead to gaps if patching falls behind, but cloud-based solutions offer continuous protection and scale. They are also able to handle TLS/SSL-encrypted traffic, which now accounts for most of the Internet’s traffic. This makes them a practical choice for most organizations.