TOP 5+1 Security Issues

Security is a key element in preserving know-how, data security, application security, and the risk of vulnerabilities in websites and applications is increasing as more and more tasks are shifted to the online environment or machine processing.

Every day, we witness threats that can jeopardize your website or application. Security threats have become an unpleasant part of our lives, and it is our responsibility to defend against them.

In this article, we will explore the five most common vulnerabilities to which websites and applications are exposed. We will examine what these threats are, how they can manifest, and what you can do to protect your websites and applications. With the information and tips in this article, you will be better prepared to combat these potential risks and ensure a safer environment for yourself and your users.

We will categorize data into several basic groups:

1. Corporate Data: Corporate data includes critical information about the company, trade secrets, strategic plans, financial information, partners, employees, and other sensitive data necessary for the business’s operation. The loss or misuse of this data can have a devastating impact on the entire organization.
2. Customer Data: Customer data includes personal and transactional information about customers, such as accounts, payment details, communication history, certificates, credentials. Protecting this data is crucial for maintaining credibility and customer relationships and the security of the operated applications.
3. Personal Data: Personal data includes information about individuals, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive information. Protecting personal data is necessary to comply with privacy laws and regulations. In this case, we refer to the data of our customers’ customers.
4. Other Sensitive Data: In addition to the above categories, there may be other sensitive data, such as health records, financial information, and other critical information that requires special protection.

Compromising any of these groups can have, depending on the intensity of the attack and its success, both a significant impact on the company from a business perspective and a reputational perspective.

Common Data Attacks

There are several persistent threats that are common and continue to be encountered, although there are now many means to prevent them.

1. SQL Injection: This vulnerability allows an attacker to insert malicious SQL code into a web form or URL and gain unauthorized access to the database. This can lead to the theft of sensitive data, such as passwords and personal information. It is perhaps the most commonly used method of compromise. While all user inputs can be protected, non-expert programming or negligence can still allow this.
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): This vulnerability involves an attacker inserting malicious scripts into a web page, which are subsequently executed by the user when they visit the page. This can allow an attacker to gain access to user accounts and perform various malicious operations.
3. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): This vulnerability allows an attacker to gain unauthorized access to user accounts by leveraging their active session, for example, to change passwords or conduct transactions.
4. Inadequate Session Management: This can include insufficient session security and inadequate protection against “session fixation” attacks. This can allow an attacker to gain control of another user’s account.
5. Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities: This vulnerability allows an attacker to execute malicious code on a target server and may involve various attacks, such as remote access vulnerabilities in the operating system or third-party applications.

Impact on Data Breaches

Vulnerability Corporate Data Customer Data Personal Data Other Sensitive Data.

How to deal with these Vulnerabilities

Now, let’s discuss ways to address and prevent the most common vulnerabilities mentioned above. Understanding these vulnerabilities and implementing appropriate security measures is essential for ensuring the security of the online environment and the protection of user trust.

And now, one non-technical vulnerability that certainly surpasses all others…

Social Engineering

It sounds very sophisticated, but social engineering is a technique that focuses on manipulating people and gaining trust or information from individuals, often through deceptive or psychological tactics. This method has been used in the field of information technology since the 1980s.

Social engineering can involve various procedures, including creating a credible false identity, exploiting human weaknesses, posing as employees or officials, creating false scenarios, and evoking emotions that lead individuals to provide the desired information or perform specific actions.

The threat lies in the fact that social engineering can be used to obtain sensitive information, such as passwords, personal information, banking details, trade secrets, or access credentials. This can result in damages such as financial losses, privacy breaches, leaks of sensitive data, and more.

Let’s illustrate social engineering with an example:

An attacker poses as a technical support employee, calls an employee’s phone number, and claims to need to verify their login credentials for the company’s system. The attacker creates the impression that it is a significant technical matter and urges the employee to provide their username and password.

The frightened employee, believing that they are communicating with a genuine technical support representative, provides their information without verifying the authenticity of the request. The attacker then uses this information to gain unauthorized access to the company’s system, and the consequences can be significant.

How to protect against this Threat

First and foremost, not trusting a single channel of information and validating and verifying information, not providing anything immediately ad-hoc, is crucial.

1. Education and Training: Educating employees about the threats associated with social engineering is essential. Employees should be able to recognize potential manipulation or deception attempts.
2. Identity Verification: Before providing sensitive information or performing critical actions, it is always essential to verify the identity of the person or entity with whom you are communicating. This may include using authentication codes or two-factor authentication.
3. Personal Data Protection: Do not provide sensitive information or access credentials via emails, phone calls, or other communication channels without thorough identity verification. Do not provide personal information or passwords upon request without caution.
4. Access Rights and Authorization: Ensure that employees only have access to information and systems necessary for their work. Limit rights and permissions to the minimum required.
5. Encryption: Use encryption for sensitive data and communication. This will make it harder for attackers to access critical information if they manage to bypass security.
6. Policies and Procedures: Establish and regularly update policies and procedures for handling sensitive information and verifying identities. Ensure that employees are familiar with these rules.
7. Incident Reporting: Implement procedures for reporting potential social engineering incidents quickly to enable a rapid response and minimize damage.
8. Monitoring and Auditing: Regularly monitor and audit systems and transactions to identify unusual activity or social engineering attempts.
9. Security Culture: Foster a security culture where employees are encouraged to follow safe practices and report suspicious activities.
10. Software Updates: Ensure that all software and applications are up to date and secure to minimize the risk of exploiting vulnerabilities.

Next time we are going to write more about offline security issues…