Over the past decade, millions of businesses have embraced web applications as an inexpensive way to build relationships and transactions with prospects and customers. But while they provide the opportunity for greater customer insight and efficiency, web applications also have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals. One of the most common and devastating of these is a web attack.
A web attack is a type of a cyberattack where the attacker takes on the persona of another to gain access to sensitive information or carry out criminal activities, such as stealing credit card numbers or other personal data. Web attacks are typically described by SQLi (Structured Query Language Injection), XSS (cross-site scripting) and file upload attack.
In SQLi, hackers enter custom Structured Query Language (SQL) commands into a field on a website or a web-based application to access private information stored on the database server behind. Similarly, in an XSS attack, hackers insert malicious code into a website or web app that the victim’s browser executes without confirmation or encryption. The attack can steal session information, display illegal text or images or redirect the user to a fake website.
The best way to defend against a cyber attack is to conduct regular vulnerability scans and apply patches to your website, its web servers, and any underlying databases. It is also an excellent idea to develop an incident response plan in order that in the event of an attack, it can be quickly discovered and addressed. You must also be able to detect web attacks by noting warning signs, such as slowing of networks and intermittent website shutdowns.
