When we say IT Security, it generally brings hardwired terms in the mind of people like network security, OS security, infrastructure security, cybersecurity, etc. where usually, they miss focusing on web and mobile application security.
Web applications are critical assets of a business and maintaining security in the lifecycle of web applications is significant to reduce the attack surface and save application’s code from exploitation.
“Web Application Security (Web AppSec) is to make web applications robust enough that they continue to perform and function as expected, even when they are under attack.”
Developers pay close heed to Web Application Security during their web app development journey but still, some aspects often get overlooked which further enables cybercriminals to work on their favorite attack vectors.
Well, to protect your clients’ and users’ and your organizational data from breaches and threats in cyberspace, take a rundown at the following web application security best practices.
Best Practices to Ensure Security within your Web Applications
#Keep Note of the Security Flaws, Often Exploitable
Lack of input/output sanitization in a web application often results in security breaks as if the unexpected inputs are not checked and handled in the first go they often leave areas that can be exploited to manipulate data or gain unauthorized access.
Be mindful of the below-mentioned attack vectors:
- SQL injection: an attempt of a perpetrator who uses malicious SQL code to manipulate backend database for information exposure
- Cross-site scripting (XSS): an injection attack that aims to hack user accounts, get unauthorized access, activate Trojans, etc. Occurs when the malware is directly injected into an application
- Remote file inclusion: a hacker remotely manages to inject a spiteful file onto a web app’s server which results in data theft or manipulation
- Cross-site request forgery: an attack that aims for unsolicited funds transfer, change of passwords, etc. Caused when an infected web app performs unwanted actions on a website where a user is logged on
#Ensure every Data Piece is Backed Up
To let your web application recover from a malware infection or breach, your organization needs to ensure that every bit of an application is restored and the repository always has an updated version of the web application.
Regular/daily backups of the application must be taken and tucked away to witness no problems while it’s time to go live again. Host providers, a majority of them, offer backups from their servers, taking into account such unwelcoming events.
#Run Risks and Vulnerabilities Scans Periodically
To stay on top of web app security, it becomes mandatory to execute security checks and scans for all of your business assets at least once/twice a week to get a clear picture of critical risks and vulnerabilities that pose severe threats.
This is a part of risk and vulnerability management that must be implemented within an organization to detect, eliminate and control the inherent risks whether encountered in web applications or any other digital asset.
Using vulnerability scanners is not enough to shield your IT infrastructure from cyber risks, there is a need to implement a broader aspect, risk-based vulnerability management strategy is the essential need that drives various mitigation and remediation actions that touch the entire ecosystem.
#Use Exception Management
This is a web app development-focused security measure that handles any type of exception a software encounters and renders results as per the defined status for that operation.
When developing a web application, allow or consider that there are generally three outcomes to handle exceptions from a security’s perspective:
- Allow operation
- Reject operation
- Handle an exception
Concerning these, an application must be programmed to reject the operation in case of an error or unwelcoming action. Say, an ATM is down or failed, a user must expect a simple friendly message, instead of spilling money right away.
#Have a Strong Password Policy in Place
Passwords are not only hard to create but also to remember where nobody likes to generate new passwords in case the previous ones are gone out of memory. For this purpose, password management tools are put to use to have easy access to all your passwords from one master key.
Furthermore, every developer who is accountable for developing a secure web application must provide two-factor authentication (2FA) functionality to double-check a user’s identity whether it’s legitimate or not.
It is also called multiple-factor or multiple-step verification that keeps user accounts secure while offering an extra layer of protection from cyber risks.
#Use SSL or TSL Encryption for Login
Using SSL (security socket layer) or TSL (transport layer security) should be made a requirement or priority to access a web application. These are the standard technologies to keep an internet connection secure and safeguard data from misuse or exploitation.
HTTPS properly protects vulnerable data and encrypts information of a web app, making it useless for cybercriminals to intercept data and unsuccessful in their hacking endeavor.
They make sure that data transfer between two systems or users and sites remain encrypted and impossible to read.
[TSL is an updated and more secure version of SSL]
Let your Web App Keep Up with the Bad Guys!
Well, there are a lot of options to ensure that your web application is safe, secure, and mitigated from target threats; nevertheless, one must not loosen up on any of the practices to give a probable chance of attack to hackers.
Your approach to handling and managing cyber threats must evolve as cyberattack and hacking techniques of the malicious actors. Be careful at the time of web app development and never leave any loose nuts to risk the security of your hard-built application software.
With CodeGlo’s IT Security services, rest assured to build active and defensive web applications that respond immediately to security risks and hazards that are highly bolstered by advanced risk management. Along with guiding you over the best implementations to secure your web apps, our IT experts acknowledge you over all the security precautions we take up to render you a fully authenticated web application.
About The Author
Richa Jindal
I juggle almost all the aspects of building products and executing projects every day, so I’m the go-to person when you don’t know who’s the go-to person.
