Every organization should take the security in software apps very serious. This is because attacks can harm any kind of application. Any modern framework that is data driven should have information on the various ways of protecting itself against any form of attack.
What are SQL injection attacks?
This refers to a type of attack that normally comes from user inputs that have not been checked and verified to confirm their validity. The main objective of the attacks is to fool a database system so that it runs into a malicious code that will then reveal crucial or sensitive information.
Two main types of attacks exist. These are:
- First order attacks
- Second order attacks
With first-order attacks, the attacker usually receives desired results instantly. This can either be through direct response from an app that they are interacting with or another response mechanism such as an email. Second order attacks come about when an attacker injects some data, which resides in a database. However, the payload will take time to activate.
Locking down
Tackling security should happen in many levels. This is because a chain is strictly as strong as its weakest point. Anytime users interact with any software, the chain contains numerous links. If the user is somewhat malicious, he or she can attempt to attack the links in order to find the weakest points. All this is in an attempt to break a system at that particular point. When they bear this mind, it becomes highly prudent that developers avoid becoming complacent about a system’s security.
Intranet websites that use Windows authentication and sit inside a corporate network as well as are unavailable to users of the Internet might give an impression that only an authorized user can access the particular intranet web application. Nevertheless, authenticated users can effortlessly gain unauthorized access if security does not go beyond that level. Statistics support the suggestion, which holds that much security breaches are often, insider jobs as compared to individuals attacking a system from the outside.
That being said, apps should permit valid data only. The data should undergo careful clean up and verification. This is particularly true between app layers where an increased opportunity for spoofing results or requests might be available.
For instance, if a web app was to request that users choose a date, then it could be quite normal that they check values for the particular date in JavaScript function on a web page prior to posting back of any data to a server. In the end, this enhances user experience through reducing the wait time between countless server requests. Nonetheless, users need to do validation of the value on a server needs to be again. This is because it is more than possible to spoof a request with an intentionally crafted invalid date.
Encrypting data
In the event that an attacker has managed to break through every defense, what highly sensitive information needs to remain secretive? Candidates for encryption normally include sensitive information such as log in details or any financial details like credit card details.