Strengthen your Web App Security with 6 best practices

The world of Web Applications is really small. And the vulnerability looms every time you share data or migrate across the platforms. Going by the rate at which hackers are bringing down businesses, it is obvious that the importance of Web App security is the most important ammunition in protecting fortunes and ideas from drudgery.

Securing Web applications against the threats is the new business consolidation policy business. Numerous studies suggest that the vulnerability of a business’ online assets can open up a can of worms within the organization. Attack the Web apps and the business is gone. The application security experts acknowledge that most companies are riddled by SQL injection errors and suffer from the cross-site scripting vulnerability. The Database security depends a lot on the information security defenders. If they duck key ingredients in Web Application Security, it can expose the assets to automated attack tools used by hackers.For those who take their business seriously and have a keen interest in keeping their Application Security Structure safe and sturdy, here’s a smart list of Best Practices to secure your Web Apps.

Look out for the Latent Vulnerabilities: Don’t Compromise with the Hacker Mind

Formulate a Web application security strategy that involves the entire team of developers and the peripheral management. Only 4 companies out of 100 have earned immunity from the tag of ‘serious vulnerability’ owing to their Web App security. The worst vulnerabilities are almost impossible to detect via the available automated scans. Hands-on testing is still the best way to fortify Web Apps, even with security products in place.
Don’t compromise with sensitive data that can jeopardize the reputation of the customer and your relation. Cyber attacks will continue. As long as you have the knowledge of your latent vulnerabilities, you can always prepare against the attacks. Think like a hacker to beat one!

In short: Don’t rely too much on the security tools.

Confidential data: The Likely target for Security breach

Application security experts realize the strongest vulnerability point. Confidential user data is a sitting duck for hackers. How to prevent Web App from security breach? Limit your collection of data. More information means bigger vulnerability set. For instance, most Web Applications have a pointer to track particular information from the database, like an account number or ID. The Insecure Reference’ can be changed if the Database security is not adequate. Security tools give a leeway to the authorized account without checking for the user identity. Since the confidential data has no logical security system, the Web Apps are prone to attacks.

Tip: Invent your own encryption algorithm for confidential data base security. When you can’t break it, neither can an outsider.

Divide and Rule is still the Best Policy

Prioritize your Web Application structure. Some apps carry more risk than others. It’s like a Domino. When one goes down, others follow suit too. Avoid getting into compromising positions. Divide your apps into critical segments. It will allow you to track the user activities too. Rule the business with restricted passage. Redesign your Database security in order to identify the Power Users, Administrators and Super admins even in a risky scenario.
Attachments uploaded by the user may exploit the Web App. User-friendly apps with input model bear the highest degree of vulnerability.

Test Preparedness using Qualitative Score

Build a plan to include security based QA process in place. Use the principle of ‘Least privilege’ in testing bugs in the interface. In order to keep the Web App security structure tight and flawless, enforce strict access on data viewership. An application can have none or hundreds of vulnerabilities. Formulate a quantitative scorecard to manage the health of such apps.

Erect WAF

WAF is recommended for all business groups. No matter what the size of turnover or level of commitment to the customers, a WAF-level protection can periodically inspect the indiscretions in the corporate firewalls. It blocks RDP and ICMP channeled to your Web server. This alone eliminates 99 per cent of the vulnerabilities associated with the Web Application Security structure. It is a guaranteed coding firewall to protect the Web App from attacks tagged under the delusional ‘Denial-of-service’ bugs.

Build a supporting infrastructure for training on Web Apps

Investing money in Web app development will give you ROI for sure. An infrastructure built to secure the Web Apps will keep that ROI safe. Always get a Security Posture done along with system preparedness to handle the serious breaches in security. Get a compliance procedure done to check if your standards meet those set by HIPAA, PCI and SOX.

A consistent training module on standards, awareness and mobile data does come handy knowing that the sheer volume of vulnerabilities can cost dearly if not identified.

Sources : http://www.designjuice.in