Web applications are a big part of our lives and provide a gateway to information and services on the Internet. However, applications are not perfect, and they can be vulnerable to attacks by hackers. In this article, we’ll discuss some security measures that can be taken during the development process of web apps so that they’re less likely to become victims of cybercrime.
Reconfigure Your Technology Stack
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There are several ways you can improve your application security. The first is to use a framework with built-in security features, such as the Django framework for Python. Frameworks like Django have been designed from the ground up with security in mind and can protect against common threats such as SQL injections and Cross Site Scripting (XSS).
Another option is to use a containerized solution like Kubernetes or Docker by JFrog, which allows you to deploy applications securely by using containers isolated from each other on the host machine’s operating system level and only have access to specific resources required (such as files or databases). This architecture makes it much easier for developers and operations teams to ensure their applications run smoothly without worrying about vulnerabilities being exploited via shared resources.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is an injection used to attack web applications and web browsers. It allows an attacker to execute malicious code in the victim’s browser, which enables them to steal cookies and hijack sessions and other attacks.
The most common way XSS is performed is by injecting scripts into forms or HTML pages that users submit to the server. For example, if you have a search function on your website where users can enter keywords, attackers may attempt to inject their JavaScript into those fields so that when the user submits their query, it runs some code on their computer instead of running it on yours—perhaps sending over all of their cookies!
SQL Injection
SQL injection, or SQLi as it’s sometimes referred to, is a code injection technique used to attack data-driven applications. It involves embedding malicious SQL statements in a web request and is designed to bypass access controls and gain access to the database.
SQLi attacks are often used by cybercriminals who want to exfiltrate confidential information from your database. For example, if you’re running an eCommerce website that stores credit card details, your company could suffer severe financial losses if hackers steal customer payment information.
If you have a web application with some kind of user management system implemented—registration forms are standard—you may be susceptible to this type of attack because there’s no limit on how much input users can enter into your form by hand or using automated tools that submit multiple requests at once (e.g., bots).
Broken Authentication and Authorization
Authentication and authorization are two different things. Authentication is the process of proving you are who you say you are, whereas authorization is the process of determining what you can do with a resource.
Many developers think of authentication as only necessary when users log in to their account from an unfamiliar device, such as their phone or a new laptop at work. However, it’s essential for developers to consider authentication throughout their entire application design process—especially if they’re building web applications where users aren’t logging in with passwords but instead signing up via email addresses or social media accounts (like Facebook or Twitter).
Security Misconfiguration
Security misconfiguration is the most common vulnerability and is easy to fix.
Some organizations have been known to turn off essential security features because they don’t know how they work or what they do, which can lead to severe vulnerabilities in your application.
This is especially true regarding access control lists (ACLs), which control who gets access to sensitive data and functions within an application. For example, if you allow anyone with permission level 1 or higher access rights on the server where your web app resides, then you’re allowing all users with permission level 1 or higher—which may be everyone! You should also ensure that only people who need specific privileges have them; for instance, administrators should not be able to delete or modify other users’ accounts unless necessary.
You can detect whether these issues exist by using vulnerability testing tools like Burp Suite Pro or Veracode Secure Static Analysis Platform (SAS) 2nd Shift: these tools will look at how well your code implements its intended security policies by probing for vulnerabilities in your applications’ configurations and looking for ways for an attacker could take advantage of them without needing any special permissions whatsoever.
Conclusion
Web applications are complex software, and there are many ways for even a well-written one to have security flaws. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas about how to identify them and what steps you can take to fix them once they’re found.
