Web Application Security
Blog posted on 14th May 2024
Introduction: What is web application security
Web application security is the practice of securing and protecting web applications from cyber attacks. It encourages developers to engineer security controls into their apps so that they are not only targeted less, but also still able to perform when under attack. Security has become a high priority in the software development life cycle due to increased threat levels. In order to maintain a strong security posture, organisations must consider security at every stage of this cycle.
The importance of a secure internet
The internet is becoming increasingly integrated into people’s everyday lives, in both business and personal settings. In fact, according to an article by Forbes, there are 252,000 new sites released every single day. So, it is crucial for the foundational security of the internet to be strong, for all the following reasons and more:
- Protecting Data and Privacy
- Prevention of Identity Theft
- Build Trust and Maintain Reputation
- Compliance with Regulations
How do you build secure web applications?
Build with security in mind.
Security must be considered in early development stages, if applications are to have a chance of standing up to cyber threats. Software developers should follow best practices such as:
- Secure coding measures like input validation, output encoding, and error handling.
- Implement strong authentication practices like multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Use HTTPS to encrypt data transferred between the client and server.
- Put an incident response plan in place to rapidly respond to security breaches or incidents.
Regular testing.
Even when security practices are embedded into an applications coding, it’s still important that regular testing is performed. Throughout development, organisations should carry out regular code reviews and security audits. At the point an application is complete and prior to its launch, penetration testing and vulnerability scanning should be performed to rigorously test its infrastructure and functionality. This will likely uncover some valuable security threats and recommendations, which can then be implemented ahead of the apps launch.
Ongoing maintenance.
With the everchanging landscape of threats and zero-day vulnerabilities, security should be considered an ongoing journey rather than a destination. It is for this reason that web applications require constant maintenance to stay ahead of the game, and regular patching should be a priority for a web applications maintenance.
The Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit online community that provides articles, methodologies, and documentation in the field of application security. One of the key initiatives of OWASP is the OWASP Top Ten, a regularly updated list of the most common and high-risk vulnerabilities found in web/ applications, determined and agreed by developers across the world. The OWASP Top Ten can come in handy during development, ensuring that attack vectors are considered in the applications build. Something that can be done over and above this once the app is complete, is OWASP Penetration Testing.
So besides being used as a foundation for strong security coding, organisations can have their platforms tested against each function of the OWASP Top Ten, to ensure there are no areas of exploitation in an app’s functionality. It is recommended to have penetration testing performed prior to an applications launch, and then annually or at any large feature update.
Conclusion & Author:
As the internet continues to expand further into our lives, new opportunities arise for cyber-criminals to exploit. For this reason, is it crucial that best practices are both agreed and then enforced to ensure a safe digital environment for us all.
Fortunately, there is no shortage of good in the world to help support the creation of a safe space. Organisations and individuals should rely on the expertise in the security industry, to support them in building and maintaining secure web applications.
Tom Sabine, Account Director
If you would like to discuss this topic further with Tom, have any questions, or would just like to connect in general, you can reach out to him in the following ways:
Mobile: +44 7480 730358
Email: Tom.Sabine@codeshield.co.uk
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