What is Web Attack?
Over the past decade, millions of businesses have embraced web applications as an inexpensive way to build relationships and transactions with prospects and customers. But while they provide the opportunity for greater customer insight and efficiency, web applications also have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals. One of the most common and devastating of these is a web attack.
A web attack is a kind of cyberattack where the attacker assumes the identity of someone else to access sensitive information or carry out malicious acts, such as the theft of credit card numbers and other personal data. Web attacks are often characterized by SQLi (Structured Query Language Injection), XSS (cross-site scripting) and file upload attack.
In SQLi attack, hackers type custom Structured Query Language (SQL) commands into fields on a website or in a web app to steal personal information stored on the database server that is backend. In an XSS, hackers inject malicious code into a website or website, which is then executed by the victim’s web browser without verification or encryption. The attack can steal session details, display unauthorized text or images or redirect the victim to a fake website.
The best way to protect against a cyber attack is to conduct regular vulnerability scans and apply patches to your website and web servers, and any databases underneath. It is also a good idea to develop an incident response plan in order that in the event of an attack it is quickly recognized and handled. Also, ensure that you are aware of ways to spot the presence of a cyberattack by observing indications such as slowing down of the network or intermittent website shutdowns.