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 an example of a cyberattack wherein the attacker takes on the persona of another to gain access to sensitive information or carry out criminal activities, such as taking credit card numbers, or other personal data. Web attacks are usually characterized by SQLi (Structured Query Language Injection), XSS (cross-site scripting) and file upload attack.
In an SQLi attack hackers enter customized Structured Query Language commands into a website or web app field to steal private data stored in the database server backend. Similarly, in an XSS attack hackers insert malicious code into an app or website that the victim’s browser automatically executes without verification or encryption. The attack can hijack the user’s session, show unauthorized images or text or redirect users to a fake website.
The best method to safeguard against a cyber attack is to run regular vulnerability scans and apply patches to your website and web servers, and any databases underneath. It is also an excellent idea to set up an incident response strategy so that should an attack occur, it can be quickly discovered and addressed. You must also be able to detect attacks on websites by being able to recognize warning signs such as site slowdowns or intermittent shut downs.