Web Application Hacking
If you’re running a business website, then you need to be able to answer the question “What is web hacking?”. This may seem a really easy question to answer, but it’s important to understand that web hacking has had different meanings at different times and will probably continue to do so as the internet develops.
What is web hacking now?
The answer to the question “What is web hacking now?” is that it is a wide range of potential activities, from old-school mischief-making to highly-sophisticated digital heists via 21st-century "hacktivism".
This means not only that companies, even SMBs, have to keep on top of their security game to try to stop hackers infiltrating their systems, but they also have to work on the assumption that, despite their best efforts, those defenses are going to be breached from time to time. This means that they also need to think about safeguarding their data when this happens.
The good news is that it is more than possible for SMBs to keep themselves and their data safe without breaking the bank. Here are some tips.
Take the security of your servers very seriously
Over recent years, there has been continuous growth in the number of cyberattacks undertaken for financial gain. In general, the target of these attacks is a company’s data and the place to find most of that data is on their servers, particularly their database server, and any places its data is backed up or archived.
It’s important to understand that the value of a company’s data is partly based on quantity and partly based on quality. This means that even an SMB can be of huge interest to hackers if its customers (or employees) are in a high-value demographic.
There are two key points to take away from this. The first is that you absolutely must have robust server-side security. Given that most SMBs will probably use a third-party web-hosting service this means that you must prioritize security when choosing a vendor. Other high priorities should be uptime, page-load time, customer service, and technical support. Only if you are happy with all of the above should the price be considered.
The second is that you must store all sensitive data encrypted regardless of where it is in your systems. This is the only way to ensure that it is useless to any hackers who break into your server. You also need to have a hacker-proof backup process so that you are protected from threats such as slow-acting ransomware. These try to infiltrate your systems by stealth and stay hidden until your backup is compromised, leaving you more vulnerable to data loss (although not data theft if you have encrypted your data).
Remember to protect all local devices, including mobile ones
Your computers and mobile devices are probably what you use to connect to your website (and other systems). This means that if they are compromised, a hacker could potentially steal valuable account details and use them to access your website (and indeed other systems). Even if you don’t store account details in your computers and mobile devices, they could still be compromised through spyware such as keyloggers.
This means that your computers and mobile devices must all be protected by a robust anti-malware solution with an integrated firewall. If you have people working from outside your business premises, then it’s strongly recommended to invest in a virtual private network solution to ensure that they (and your systems) are kept safe even when they are using a questionable connection.
Choose your website’s software with great care
The main content management systems can all offer a high level of security, but they don’t offer it “out of the box”, quite the opposite in fact. Hackers can easily inform themselves of the capabilities of open-source software and they do. This means that you need to do likewise and make sure to customize your default settings and assign permissions appropriately to provide maximum protection from hackers.
Third-party add-ons, by contrast, can be security nightmares. Some of them are outright, intentional malware. Others aren’t intended to cause harm but are so badly written that they create all kinds of problems. The safest option by far is to stick to mainstream options with strong community support. Even then, do your research and try to test them out thoroughly before you deploy them in production.
Whatever software you choose, commit to keeping it updated. Out-of-date software of any sort is an invitation to hackers and out-of-date open-source software is beyond tempting for them.
Please click here now to have your website scanned, for free, by cWatch from Comodo.
To keep your system secure and protect your privacy, you need to install an EDR software, designed to detect and remove malware.
Removal
Security stack layer 1
Malware Detect & Removal
Our malware detection scanning, preventive methods and removal enables you to take a proactive approach to protect the business and brand reputation from malware attacks and infections.
- Unsuspecting websites get infected with malicious code.
- Continuous website monitoring to detect any incidents.
- Identify and remediate the cause to hardening your websites.
Comodo cWatch Web can identify malware, provide the tools and methods to remove it, and help to prevent future malware attacks at the edge before it hits the network, included as a paid member.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
Response
Security stack layer 5
Cyber Security Operations Center
Our exclusive C.S.O.C. is staffed with certified security analysts to monitor, assess and defend websites, applications, databases, data centers, servers, networks, desktops and other endpoints.
- 24 / 7 / 365 security monitoring using state-of-the-art tech.
- Engage clients of complex threats to resolve the issue.
- Real-time web traffic monitoring and proactive incident fixes.
C.S.O.C. checks for threats, identifies and analysis then performs the necessary actions to resolve the issue while offloading costs of in-house experts by using stack layer 3 to handle the heavy lifting.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
Intelligence
Security stack layer 3
Security Information • Event Management
S.I.E.M. collects logs and events the network traffic and web assets, security devices, operating systems, applications, databases, and reviews the vulnerabilities using artificial intelligence to process.
- Reduces billions of events into prioritized threats real-time.
- Identifies changes in network behavior with activity baselines.
- Flows data searches in real-time streaming or historical mode.
S.I.E.M. senses and tracks significant threats to links to all online supporting data and context for easier investigation. While anomaly detection to identify changes associated with the network safety.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
Prevention
Security stack layer 4
Web Application Firewall
W.A.F. by Comodo eliminates application vulnerabilities to protect websites and web applications against advanced attacks including Denial-of-Service (DDoS), SQL Injection and Cross-Site Scripting.
- Destroys malicious requests and thwart hack attempts.
- Protection to account registration forms and login pages.
- Malicious bots and brute force attacks are block and patched.
Combined with malware scanning, vulnerability scanning and automatic virtual patching and hardening engines provides robust security is fully managed for Comodo cWatch Web customers.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
Performance
Security stack layer 2
Add a network of globally distributed servers designed to boost the speed for websites and web applications by transferring content to your user based on their proximity to the nearest CDN web server.
- Proven to increase search engine rankings and site scores.
- 29 worldwide CDN node locations to reach your users.
- Save your bandwidth by leveraging CDN browser caching.
CDN serves your users your website content with virtually unlimited capacity. Giving you the freedom to focus less on site maintenance, more on scaling the uptime of your traffic and target audience.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
Compliance
Security stack layer 6
Payment Card Industry • Data Security Standard
PCI • DSS ensures that your customers' cardholder info is kept secure from security breaches through a meticulous scan of your network and applications to identify and fix security vulnerabilities.
- Simple and automated way to stay compliant with PCI • DSS.
- Pass the requirements for the 12 points PCI • DSS standard.
- Schedule on-demand PCI scans to report quarterly results.
Establishes and implements a firewall, hardens your environment, disables unnecessary services & configures system parameters to prevent misuse, ensures system audit components are protected.
By clicking the button below, I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Already have an cWatch account? Sign in here
© 2024 Comodo Security Solutions, Inc