15 Common Web Cyber Security Issues & Solutions

Any website or online application – whether it’s an Web bank processing thousands and thousands of dollars in transactions every day or a storefront for small neighborhood businesses – can fall victim to malicious attacks and Web security issues. Hackers often select their targets by vulnerability, not by size or notoriety. Smaller systems, which can not even contain sensitive data, may be more tempting targets just because they’re easier to hack. 

One might view website security as a single protective shell around a site and server, which may be strengthened or weakened. A more accurate perspective is that each cyber security measure is a layer of protection. Each layer you add keeps your data safer. Many layers might be redundant, and this is nice. It could appear counterintuitive or paranoid, but the most effective approach when securing your site is to assume each layer will fail. For instance, two-factor authentication adds a second layer of authentication under the belief that the first password will someday be stolen. 

But what exactly is a security issue?

A security issue is any unmitigated risk or vulnerability in your system that hackers can use to do damage to systems or data. This includes vulnerabilities within the servers and software connecting your corporation to customers, in addition to your corporation processes and other people. A vulnerability that hasn’t been exploited is solely a vulnerability that hasn’t been exploited yet. Web security problems needs to be addressed as soon as they’re discovered, and energy needs to be put into finding them because exploitation attempts are inevitable. 

Listed here are the 15 most typical forms of Web security issues or web security problems and a few relevant steps you possibly can take to guard yourself, your data, and your corporation.

The goal of a ransomware attack is to realize exclusive control of critical data. The hacker encrypts and holds your data hostage after which demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key that you must access the files. The attacker may even download and threaten to release sensitive data publicly in case you don’t pay by a deadline. Ransomware is the variety of attack you’re more than likely to see reported in major news media.

To try a code injection, an attacker will seek for places your application accepts user input – comparable to a contact form, data-entry field, or search box. Then, through experimentation, the hacker learns what various requests and field content will do. 

For instance, in case your site’s search function places terms right into a database query, they’ll try and inject other database commands into search terms. Alternatively, in case your code pulls functions from other locations or files, they’ll attempt to govern those locations and inject malicious functions. 

Prevent: Besides server or network-level protections like CloudFlare and Liquid Web’s Server Secure Plus, additionally it is vital to deal with this security issue from a development perspective. 

Keep any framework, CMS, or development platform frequently updated with security patches. When programming, follow best practices regarding input sanitization. Regardless of how insignificant, all user input needs to be checked against a basic algorithm for what input is anticipated. 

For instance, if the expected input is a five-digit number, add code to remove any input which shouldn’t be a five-digit number. To assist prevent SQL injections, many scripting languages include built-in functions to sanitize input for protected SQL execution. Use these functions on any variables that construct database queries.

JavaScript and other browser-side scripting methods are commonly used to dynamically update page content with external information comparable to a social media feed, current market information, or revenue-generating advertisements. 

Hackers use XSS to attack your customers through the use of your site as a vehicle to distribute malware or unsolicited advertisements. Consequently, your organization’s status may be tarnished, and you possibly can lose customer trust.

Prevent: Adjust content security policies in your site to limit source URLs of distant scripts and pictures to only your domain and whatever external URLs you specifically require. This small and often-overlooked step can prevent many XSS attacks from even getting off the bottom. 

Most XSS attacks depend on the location developer having done nothing to stop it. Should you’re a developer, you possibly can mitigate these web security problems with input sanitization by properly escaping HTML tag characters, comparable to converting < and > to < and > on any user input processed by JavaScript. Small preventative measures can provide a variety of safety.

Liquid Web customers can contact our Support Team at any time to get help with an appropriate configuration to stop cross-site scripting.

A data breach occurs every time an unauthorized user gains access to your private data. They might not have a replica of the info or control it, but they will view it and possibly make changes. 

It’s possible you’ll not even know there’s a breach immediately. For instance, the attacker could have an administrative account password but hasn’t used it to make any changes yet. 

Prevent: This Web security issue may be difficult to deal with because an attacker at this stage is usually taking careful steps to stay hidden. Many systems will print connection information out of your previous session whenever you log in. Pay attention to this information where available, and be mindful of activity that isn’t familiar. 

Most mainstream content management systems and open-source applications offer these notifications natively or through plugins. Other plugins automate the technique of surveying your site files for any latest additions or modifications. The more these tools you apply, the more you possibly can pay attention to any potentially suspicious activity. Early detection of security issues gives you the most effective options for cleanup and prevention.

Malware is brief for malicious software. Malware on a workstation can encrypt data for ransomware purposes and even log keystrokes to capture passwords. Hackers typically use malware to expand existing access to your site or spread access to others on the identical network. 

If malware is present, you’ve already been breached. Subsequently, it’s crucial to find out which Web security issues led to the breach before any malware cleanup or restoration. 

Prevent: On workstations, mitigate the chance of this security problem by being careful about what you download and using antivirus software to seek out and safely remove any malware. Keeping these antivirus applications frequently updated is critical, because the malware is consistently updated and improved. As well as, workstation logins needs to be users without administrative access. In a worst-case scenario, keep good backups to revive the workstation whether it is compromised too deeply to scrub. 

The situation on the server end isn’t much different. Malware scanning and intrusion detection tools like F5 AIP can be found, in addition to tools to watch for any file modifications or additions. Take care when choosing CMS plugins or server applications to put in. Run applications with non-administrative privileges wherever possible. 

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are generally not attempting to realize access. Nonetheless, they’re sometimes used together with brute force attacks (explained below) and other attack types as a technique to make log data less useful during your investigation.

For instance, the hacker may directly attack your application layer by overwhelming your site with more requests than it might probably handle. They might not even view a complete page – only a single image or script URL with a flood of concurrent requests. Beyond the traffic flood making your site unreachable (which any volumetric attack will do), a Layer 7 attack can inflict further damage by flooding order queues or polling data with bogus transactions that require extensive and expensive manual verification to sort out. 

Prevent: Blocking such an attack may be nearly unimaginable by conventional means. There is usually no security issue being exploited. The requests themselves are usually not malicious and deliberately mix in with normal traffic. The more widely distributed the attack, the tougher it’s to differentiate legitimate requests from those who are usually not. 

Should you’re not capable of use a DDoS server protection service, options are fairly limited and vary case by case. Essentially the most effective measures absorb all of the traffic by increasing available server and network resources to accommodate the extra traffic until the attack subsides or may be isolated. 

Credential stuffing is a standard term we now give to hackers abusing the re-use of passwords across multiple accounts. If a hacker gains access to one among your account passwords, you possibly can be assured they’ll try and log into dozens of other common services with the identical username and password they only captured. 

Prevent: The perfect and easiest technique to avoid this security issue is to easily never use the identical username or password for multiple services. Multi-factor authentication also helps prevent this by keeping the login secure even when the first password is weak.

In a brute force attack, the hacker (often with the assistance of automation) tries multiple password guesses in various mixtures until one is successful. In simpler terms, consider it as opening a mixture padlock by trying every possible combination of numbers so as. 

Prevent: Many CMS and mainstream applications include software that monitors your system for repeated login failures or offers a plugin system that gives this information. These software and plugins are the most effective preventions for brute force attacks, as they severely limit the variety of guesses allowed. 

Liquid Web’s Server Secure Plus can monitor your system for repeated login failures and robotically block the source.

A sequence is simply as strong as its weakest link, and a pc system is simply as secure as its weakest password. Subsequently, for any level of access, all passwords needs to be of sufficient length and complexity. A strong password should include 18 characters minimum, and the longer, the higher. Password length increases security greater than complexity. 

A password like “dK3(7PL” may be cracked faster than a password like “ThisPasswordIsSixWordsLong” regardless that the latter accommodates dictionary words. 

Prevent: Use two-factor authentication wherever available. This may protect a login even when the right password is obtained or guessed. Also, change your passwords on an everyday schedule, comparable to every 60 or 90 days, and never use the identical one twice. 

Social engineering encompasses all the non-technical ways an attacker may use to realize access or do damage to your systems or data. Essentially the most common method is the oldest: lying or using fabricated information to realize trust. 

A malicious actor may impersonate your bank, a utility provider, and even law enforcement. They might claim to be a customer or pose as an executive out of your organization. The goal of such attacks is usually to either obtain sensitive information or trick an insider into unknowingly performing destructive actions. 

• Obtain confidential contact details.
• Obtain account or bank card numbers.
• Obtain or reset passwords.
• Persuade staff to suspend or cancel essential services.
• Persuade staff to disable critical infrastructure.
• Persuade staff to upload or install malicious software.

Social engineering attacks may be devastatingly effective since the individuals who launch them are well-practiced in persuasion and deceit. Many have years of experience and finely-honed characters. For instance, an attacker posing as law enforcement may give such a talented performance that they’d idiot an actual law enforcement officer. You absolutely cannot depend on your ability to guage character to guard yourself from these attacks. 

Prevent: Look ahead to a few of these common red-flag cues to develop into aware of social engineering at play:

• Aggressive language and demanding behavior designed to make you are feeling like you have done something improper.
• A way of urgency around fixing an issue before you could have time to fact-check.
• Threats of legal motion or financial penalty in case you don’t immediately comply.
• Evasion and escalated emotion whenever you ask identity-verification questions.

If someone claims to be out of your bank, it’s best to have the option to achieve that person by calling your bank’s publicly listed phone number and being routed by an operator. Likewise, if an email appears to be an invoice from a service provider, that provider will typically have an internet portal or publicly listed customer support phone number you possibly can call to substantiate any outstanding bills.

SPAM, or unsolicited email messages (often in high volume), are usually not a brand new security problem. SPAM has been a headache for a long time at this point, and lots of of us still receive these emails in our inboxes which we must delete. A threat that many overlook is email account compromise, which then allows a spammer to send their very own messages out of your mailbox. Not only does your domain’s email status suffer, resulting in blacklisting, you furthermore may receive potentially 1000’s of email bounce-backs and error messages generated by the spam. 

Phishing isn’t exactly an attack, very like fishing isn’t exactly hunting. The hackers can solid a large net, sending the identical generic bait to 1000’s of targets. In additional focused attacks, they’ll use bait tailored to specific prey, often known as spear phishing. 

In spear-phishing attacks, staff may receive fake notifications from internal systems, with links crafted to capture logins to those systems. Also, hackers sometimes go whaling by hunting a single high-profile goal with convincing bait.

Prevent: The perfect technique to avoid falling victim is to approach the threat very like you’ll social engineering: trust no incoming messages. Use the next practices to realize protection from SPAM and phishing attempts:

• Use strong passwords that you just change frequently.
• Use mailing lists or email aliases for shared mailbox purposes (i.e., info@ or sales@).
• Use Captcha or other human verification on all contact forms.
• Confirm the source of any messages you receive that prompt motion. 
• Don’t click login links in email messages. Opt as a substitute to open the relevant web sites manually or by bookmark.
• Don’t blindly trust any email attachments.

Betrayal from the within can harm your organization on multiple levels. A trusted worker or contractor can damage your systems, steal confidential information, and even sabotage team unity. The attacker doesn’t even must be an worker. They might be anyone you trust, like a customer or a delivery driver. Much as with social engineering, you just cannot depend on your ability to guage character to maintain yourself protected. 

Prevent: Beyond initial vetting and background confirmation of any latest worker or contractor, you possibly can further protect yourself by limiting users’ access inside the organization. Only grant access to systems required for assigned tasks and only the minimum level of access obligatory to finish said tasks. 

Accountability can also be critical. A malicious insider, like all hacker, prefers to be undetected. Don’t use single shared logins for any systems. Don’t give a contractor or worker your CMS login. As a substitute, create a selected login just for them with appropriate permissions. Disable this login when it isn’t needed anymore.

Staff must also stay current on security best practices. Lock workstations in your office or shop with a powerful password any time they’re unattended. Also, disable automatic mounting of external disk drives.

Data leaks, like ransomware, are inclined to make news after they occur. Data leaks can include customer data or confidential mental property like source code. Anything that’s a secret is a goal for hackers. This data is most frequently well secured, and compromise often occurs through other methods comparable to insider threats or social engineering.

Prevent: Be sure you keep private data behind network security and login restrictions. Limit the variety of users authorized for access. Be sure that all user access is secured with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication where possible and that users change these passwords frequently. Think about using a secure managed email platform to filter out phishing and malicious links. Also, restrict physical access to critical systems. 

As we covered earlier, we add layers of security, assuming that previous layers will someday fail. Subsequently, it’s vital to have a recovery plan in place within the event of a complete loss, whether from catastrophic system failure or malicious exploit of one among the net security problems discussed here. The perfect recovery plans at all times begin with thorough, regular backups and adequate backup retention policies. 

Prevent: Specifics will vary by your needs but revolve around three backup best practices: The scope of your backups, the scheduling of your backups, and your backup retention policy.

• Scope: Be sure that the backup scope covers all specific items you’d need to revive site functionality or business operations. It might be as little as a directory of files and a database or two or entire disks. Include any non-default server configurations or custom application installations. Should you can’t afford to lose it or can’t recreate it quickly from a default installation, include it in your backups.
• Scheduling: This may be one among the toughest decisions to make. An appropriate backup schedule will save backups often enough to catch updates and ensure any restored site might be reasonably current – but not so often as to negatively impact site performance or cause sequential backups to be essentially similar. 
• Retention: A typical mistake here is solely keeping one backup from the previous night to permit restoration after a server failure. But what happens if a site compromise is small and goes unnoticed for a day or more? Then the one available backups are compromised as well. The farther back you possibly can rewind the clock, the higher your options are. 

While unpatched systems are perhaps the simplest security issue to avoid, also they are one of the vital commonly exploited. Nearly every software update accommodates at the least a couple of security patches for known vulnerabilities. As hackers discover exploit methods, they share this information inside their community. Many freely-available automated hacking tools contain vast databases of those known vulnerabilities. Yet, many CMS installations are rarely (or never) updated after they’re initially deployed. 

Prevent: You will need to keep all components updated to their latest available supported release. Keep branched releases (comparable to WordPress) current inside the installed branch. Development sites are only as vital to update as live production sites. Remember, the attacker doesn’t care whether you’re actively doing business through a given CMS installation or not. They only care whether it’s vulnerable. Abandoned test projects and old demos are prime targets for hackers.

An attack against your website shouldn’t be a matter of if, but when. Taking basic, reasonable precautions and erring on the side of distrust can prevent a variety of trouble concerning Web security issues. Have a radical, tested recovery plan for a complete loss or full compromise.