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 cyberattack where the attacker takes on the identity of another to gain access to sensitive information or do illegal activities, like 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 attacks.
In a SQLi hack, hackers insert customized Structured Query Language (SQL) commands into fields on a website or in a web-based app to steal personal information stored on the database server http://neoerudition.net/the-problem-of-hacking-the-internet-of-things behind. In an XSS attack, hackers inject malicious code into a web app or website, which is then executed by the victim’s browser, without validation or encoded. The attack may steal session information, display unauthorised text or images or redirect the user to a phishing site.
The best way to protect against a web-based attack is to perform regular vulnerability scans, and apply patches to your site as well as its web servers and any databases that are involved in the attack. It is also an ideal idea to establish an incident response plan so that, should an attack occur it is quickly identified and responded to. Additionally, you should are aware of ways to spot an attack on your website through warning indications such as slowing down of the network or intermittent website shutdowns.