What is Web Security and Why is it Important to Your Business?

web security

Web security is about creating a protective layer around your servers and preventing cyberattacks from accessing sensitive data. When hackers gain access to your servers, it could be a huge problem for your business, resulting in loss of revenue and trust. This is why you need to invest in the best web security solutions, as they can prevent attackers from bypassing all your protective layers.

The massive importance of the internet for modern businesses and the growth in the sophistication, frequency, and impact of attacks have made web security a crucial component of any security strategy. The most effective solutions combine multiple technologies to stop malware and ransomware, block phishing domains, restrict credentials, and more—building a holistic defense.

Attack surface misconfigurations: An organization’s “attack surface” is all of its hardware, software, SaaS, and cloud assets that are accessible via the Internet and vulnerable to cyberattacks. These include a website, mobile apps, remote office software, and other technologies. Attackers exploit misconfigurations to steal user information, sabotage systems, and launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

Input validation and error handling: SQL injection and cross-site scripting are common attacks that use flaws in input handling to compromise an application. They enable attackers to directly access backend databases or to inject scripts into a webpage, impersonate users, and trick users into revealing sensitive information.

Password management: This includes encrypting passwords, limiting the number of accounts a single employee can create, and testing authentication and session management for weaknesses. It also includes securing APIs, deploying password policies across the entire enterprise, and enabling two-factor authentication for all external interfaces.

Web applications: In addition to implementing the above, companies should also deploy web application firewalls and test for application vulnerabilities with tools like black box and white box testing tools, penetration testing and fuzzing, and a range of security scanners and vulnerability management tools. They should also test for the ability to detect and respond to the latest threats in the OWASP Top 10, and ensure they have the necessary encryption capabilities, granularity, and performance.

Malicious redirects: When this attack occurs, users are redirected to a site they never intended to visit. This may be to steal data, perform a DDoS attack, or simply to redirect users to malware-laden sites.

Malicious phishing and email attachments: These attacks are a popular attack method and can involve a variety of tactics, from delivering phishing emails to distributing malicious file attachments. A successful attack could spoof an email address, encrypt sensitive data, or hijack a browser to download malware.