How do you secure your web applications?

1 Validate inputs

One of the most common ways that attackers exploit web applications is by injecting malicious code or commands into the input fields, such as forms, URLs, or cookies. This can result in data theft, unauthorized access, or damage to the application or the server. To prevent this, you need to validate all the inputs from the users and the sources, and reject any that are invalid, incomplete, or suspicious. You can use various techniques, such as whitelisting, filtering, escaping, or encoding, to sanitize the inputs and avoid injection attacks.

2 Encrypt data

Another way that attackers can harm your web applications is by intercepting or stealing the data that is transmitted between the application and the users, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal information. This can lead to identity theft, fraud, or privacy breaches. To prevent this, you need to encrypt all the data that is sensitive or confidential, both in transit and at rest. You can use protocols, such as HTTPS, SSL, or TLS, to secure the communication channels, and methods, such as hashing, salting, or encryption algorithms, to protect the data stored in the databases or the files.

3 Implement authentication and authorization

A third way that attackers can compromise your web applications is by impersonating or bypassing the legitimate users or the administrators, and gaining access to the restricted areas or the resources of the application. This can result in data manipulation, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions. To prevent this, you need to implement authentication and authorization mechanisms that verify the identity and the role of the users, and grant or deny them access to the appropriate parts or functions of the application. You can use techniques, such as passwords, tokens, certificates, or multi-factor authentication, to ensure that only the authorized users can log in and use the application.

4 Update and patch

A fourth way that attackers can target your web applications is by exploiting the vulnerabilities or the bugs that exist in the code, the libraries, the frameworks, or the platforms that you use to build and run your application. This can result in crashes, errors, or backdoors. To prevent this, you need to update and patch your web application regularly, and keep track of the latest security fixes and improvements that are released by the developers or the vendors of the components that you use. You can use tools, such as scanners, analyzers, or testers, to detect and resolve any issues or flaws in your web application.

5 Monitor and audit

A fifth way that attackers can affect your web applications is by performing malicious activities or operations that can degrade the performance, the availability, or the integrity of your application. This can result in denial of service, data corruption, or defacement. To prevent this, you need to monitor and audit your web application constantly, and collect and analyze the data and the logs that are generated by the application and the users. You can use tools, such as dashboards, alerts, or reports, to measure and evaluate the health, the traffic, and the behavior of your web application, and identify and respond to any anomalies or incidents.

6 Educate and train

A sixth way that attackers can harm your web applications is by exploiting the human factor, such as the lack of awareness, the negligence, or the mistakes of the users or the developers of the application. This can result in phishing, social engineering, or misconfiguration. To prevent this, you need to educate and train yourself and your users on the best practices and the guidelines for securing your web application, and raise their awareness of the common threats and the risks that they face. You can use resources, such as blogs, podcasts, or courses, to learn and share the latest trends and tips on web application security.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?