Over additional info 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 where the attacker impersonates another person to gain access to sensitive information or malicious actions, like stealing 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 insert customized Structured Query Language commands into the web application or website field to steal private data stored on the database server backend. Similarly, in an XSS attack, hackers insert malicious code into websites or web apps that the victim’s web browser automatically executes without confirmation or encryption. The attack may steal session information, display unauthorised images or text, or redirect the victim to a fake website.
The best way to defend against a web-based attack is to regularly run vulnerability checks, and then apply patches to your website as well as its web servers, and any databases that are underneath. It is also recommended to set up an incident response plan to ensure that should an attack occur it can be quickly detected and dealt with. Additionally, you should know how to recognize the presence of a cyberattack by observing indicators like slowing of network speeds or intermittent shutdowns of websites.