In today's technological age, digital assets like websites are some of the most valuable things out there. They serve as the main source of communication and information for many people and businesses, and when compromised, can become a major risk in a multitude of ways.
Cybersecurity In The Modern World
With almost everything online nowadays, the internet has become a place potent with both risk and opportunity for those who use it. It's a great tool that can be leveraged in effectively establishing, maintaining, and connecting a business, however can similarly pose danger through these functions.
Cybercrime is on the rise, and websites of all sizes are increasingly susceptible to attacks. Hackers are becoming more sophisticated in their methods, and many businesses don't have the tools or resources to protect themselves adequately.
Every day, hackers and cybercriminals seek to exploit vulnerabilities in online systems in order to steal data, money, or even take control of entire websites. Data breaches such as these can be extremely costly, both in terms of the financial damages they cause and the negative impact they have on a company's reputation.
Common damages from website security vulnerabilities include:
- Hackers gaining access to customer data
- Theft of money or intellectual property
- Malware and ransomware infections
- Denial of service
- Data breaches
- Data tampering
This is something that virtually every website on the internet is susceptible to, however, it can be mitigated with the proper knowledge and prevention measures. Through the following, we'll detail some common ways websites are attacked and what measures you can put in place to prevent them.
Common Website Security Threats And Attacks
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) is a form of cyberattack in which malicious code scripts are injected into otherwise safe and trusted websites. It's a practice used by hackers to gain access to user data, passwords, and other sensitive information. This is most often done by sending a corrupt link to a user and enticing them to click it, which results in the execution of malicious code. These types of attacks can be structured to carry out a variety of functions, such as activating Trojan horses, compromising user accounts, or modifying website content so as to trick users into providing sensitive information.
One of the best ways to protect your website from the potential implications of Cross-Site Scripting attacks is through the imposition of a Web Application Firewall (WAF). A WAF is a helpful cybersecurity tool that can act as a filter for website requests, being able to identify and block potentially malicious requests. While some website hosts will have this as standard, it's not always guaranteed and can be an added layer of security for your website.
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS)
Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) is a form of cyberattack that's designed with an intent to overwhelm a target server, network, or service with an onslaught of internet traffic. A DDoS attack uses the strategy of sending a flood of requests to a targeted web resource with the objective of exceeding its capacity to handle them. A DDoS attack alone won't allow hackers to breach a website's security, however, can temporarily or permanently render it offline. This can be crippling for a business, as it can result in lost revenue and customers.
So much so in fact, that the average cost of a DDoS attack is estimated to be anywhere between $20,000-$40,000 per hour.
A DDoS attack, in general, is complex to defend against. To begin, you must reduce the peak traffic by using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), a load balancer, and scalable resources. You'll also need a Web Application Firewall in case any DDoS attacks inflicted upon your website are concealing another type of cyberattack, such as XSS.
Fuzzing
Fuzz testing is a type of black-box testing used by developers to discover coding flaws and security gaps in software, operating systems, and networks. The technique involves inputting a large amount of random data (fuzz) into an application to cause it to crash, then using a fuzzer software program to locate vulnerable areas. While this is traditionally used to find and fix problems, it can also be leveraged by hackers to identify and exploit potential weaknesses in a website. Keeping your security and other programs up to date is the most effective method of defending against a fuzzing attack. This is especially true for any security updates that are released as part of an upgrade that attackers can take advantage of if you haven't installed it.
Best Practices In Keeping Your Website Secure
Given the plethora of risks out there that have the potential to harm your online entities, it's important to emphasize their security and put in place the necessary precautions to protect them.
Use a Secure Hosting Provider
When it comes to hosting your website, using a secure host is one of the most important steps you can take to protect it. The best hosts will have measures in places such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems that help to mitigate attacks. They'll also have a team of experts who are constantly monitoring for potential threats and are prepared to act swiftly in the event of an attack.
Scan your Website for Vulnerabilities
Regularly scanning your website for vulnerabilities is another essential step in keeping it safe. There are many different tools and services available that can help you do this, and it's something you should be doing at least quarterly. You can also outsource this to a third-party security firm if you don't have the resources internally.
Keep Your Software And Systems Up To Date, Including Security Patches
One of the most important things you can do to protect your website is make sure that all of your software and systems are up to date. This means regularly checking for updates and patches for your operating system, web server, database, and any other software you're running. Hackers are constantly looking for ways to exploit outdated software, so it's critical that you're always up to speed on the most recent protections.
Use A Web Application Firewall
A web application firewall (WAF) is a critical line of defense against many common attacks on websites. A WAF is a firewall that's specifically designed to protect web applications and can be used to block malicious requests, filter out bad traffic, and prevent attacks such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and SQL injection.
Deploy A Content Delivery Network
A content delivery network (CDN) can be an effective way to reduce things like peak traffic from a DDoS attack. A CDN will distribute your website content across a global network of servers, which will help to ensure that the heaviest traffic loads are handled by servers that are best equipped to handle them. This can help to prevent your website from becoming overloaded and crashing should it experience high loads of requests.
Implement A Load Balancer
Load balancing is another technique that can be used to help mitigate the effects of a DDoS type attack. A load balancer is a device or software program that evenly distributes the workload of incoming traffic across multiple servers. This can help to prevent anyone server from becoming overloaded and crashing, which could take the entire website down.
Educate Yourself
When it comes to an issue as complex as cybercrime, knowledge really is power. Amid the rapidly developing risks out there, one of the best things you can do for yourself and your online entities is to stay informed. There are many sources of information out there on cybercrime, from websites like this one to industry journals and reports. Staying up to date on the latest trends and threats is one of the best ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim, and to be vigilant of what threats exist.
Hire a Security Expert
Hiring a security expert is always a good idea, especially if you're not familiar with all of the different ways that your website can be attacked. They can help to assess your current security posture and make recommendations on how to strengthen it. They can also help you develop policies and procedures to help protect your website from future attacks.
As can be seen, there are many different types of cyberattacks that can be inflicted upon a website. Luckily, attacks aren't something that can't be prevented through adequate education, preparation, and strategy. By becoming aware of the risks out there and taking the necessary precautions, you can help to mitigate the dangers posed by the unknown online. Always remember to consistently review, update and improve your existing cybersecurity measures, as well as seek out new ways to improve them as new threats begin to develop.
After all, with everything that's important to your business' vitality online, can you risk leaving it exposed?
Comments