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6 Critical Components of Enterprise Web Security

Critical Components of Enterprise Web Security

These days, web security is no longer a practice you might want to consider but rather something you must execute.

Generally, web security is the preventive measure businesses adopt to protect themselves from attacks and threats using the web channel. It’s crucial for business continuity and shielding vital company data and users from potential disasters.

In addition, web security should be your top priority. Aside from emails, the web is another primary target of cyberattacks and threats. In fact, it’s the key that would allow cybercriminals to enter your system, manage access through multiple networks, and launch threats successfully.

Here are the common web security threats you should be aware of:

  • Phishing 

It attempts to pose as a reliable organization to acquire sensitive data from target victims.

  • SQL Injection 

A common web hacking technique allows cybercriminals to interfere with the application process by sending unknown queries.

  • Ransomware 

Cybercriminals use this to obtain money from you by hiding your data in an encrypted location.

  • Malware

It’s malicious software that causes disruption and data leaks in the system.

The critical components of enterprise web security must be implemented to protect your web systems from such threats. These are as follows:

1. Firewall

Firewalls are protections that prohibit unauthorized people from accessing private networks. Particularly intranets and others that connect via the internet. In other words, it’s the frontline of the network, acting as a receptionist between devices.

In addition, you can customize firewalls to ensure that any data has to pass through them before it leaves or enters. Accomplish this through a series of security checks by assessing every message and eliminating those that fail to meet the set security guidelines. Without firewalls, your networks will be susceptible to attacks.

Here are the types of firewalls you can use for your web security:

  • Application-Layer Firewalls 

It layers security protocols to help determine and block potential attacks on the web.

  • Packet Filtering Firewalls 

It filters every packet that enters the network. However, it’s prone to IP spoofing.

  • Stateful Firewalls 

This type of firewall accomplishes two necessary actions: it classifies traffic using port destination and tracks every communication of internal connections.

  • Next-Generation Firewalls

This filters traffic using traffic types and port destinations. It’s often built with standard firewalls but with extra features.

  • Proxy Server Firewalls 

This type of firewall checks every message that passes through the system.

Furthermore, you can have more than one type at the same time, depending on your web security needs.

2. Active Sponsorship

Sponsorship is an act of being by helping other professionals from the same field with the same goals, boosting and enriching the organization through smart leadership.

Active sponsors play a key role in the success of your web security platforms. Web security must have continuous and consistent collaboration and communication with different teams across multiple departments. Otherwise, your security initiatives won’t be executed effectively and successfully.

In addition, sponsors provide and ensure excellent leadership between teams. They help companies access opportunities that could enhance and level up their skillsets. This gives organizations new knowledge they can use to execute their security plans properly.

The Problem In Sponsorship

If sponsorship is vital in implementing web security initiatives, why is it still elusive and challenging for many professionals? Here are probably the reasons why:

First, there has been confusion as to what sponsorship really means. If more organizations and businesses understand it, that wouldn’t be difficult for other companies to look for one. There will be progressive leadership and valuable learning experiences.

Second, it’s because the principles of sponsorship are being replaced by mentorship. Sponsorship should start with the sponsor, not the recipient. It’s actually the opposite of mentorship, in which the relationship begins with the mentee. Sponsors should show their interest in helping you grow and improve your overall performance.

Therefore, when looking for a sponsor to help you with web security implementation, make sure that they’re interested in making you succeed. Also, make sure they understand the essence of sponsorship. 

3. Developer Training

Web security is a highly technical process that requires skilled personnel to execute protective measures and protocols. So, ask yourself, is your team good enough to handle operational web security seamlessly? If not yet, then you need to consider conducting developer training.

However, you shouldn’t limit the training only to developers. You want to make sure that you involve all staff during the process, such as operational, QA, and project management personnel. After all, making a resilient web application can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for or planning to do, even if you’re well-equipped with essential tools.

Having trained employees who understand the essence of web security builds the foundation of an effective security program implementation.

online safety and security

4. Threat Modeling

One of the most crucial web security components is creating threat models to determine potential threats and vulnerabilities to your network and application. This will allow you to browse every possible asset that could be a potential target of cyberattacks and how cybercriminals can target them.

In addition, this process is repeatedly done to identify new threats. And as threats evolve and develop, so does the model. Over time, the threat model will continue to mature due to technological advancements as long as you put more thought into it.

When you conceptualize and build a threat model, you need to:

  • Determine All Possible Assets

This is the first step in building a threat model. You should be able to identify all data that can be a target. Once you identify potential targets, it’s time to categorize them using their data classification levels.

  • Determine Potential Threats

Once you identify and categorize critical assets, you need to consider the threats that can damage them. This can be done in two different approaches: bottom-up and top-down. Bottom-up evaluation means thinking like an attacker. For example, how they’ll execute their overall attacks and plans. Top-down is more in line with how to access a target.

  • Prioritize Risks

Once you validate the potential threats, you should categorize them on the risk they carry. Prioritize those who are more critical and may damage your system severely. This may seem insignificant, but it’ll help you protect your web application effectively.

By doing so, you’ll be able to manage and use your resources properly. You’ll ensure that your time and effort go where you need them most.

5. Web Security Architecture

Web security architecture helps your team develop and deploy code securely and effectively. It means establishing a primary authentication and authorization that ensures every request will be authorized horizontally and vertically. In this way, your developers don’t have to go through obstacles to execute crucial security operations.

In addition, your web security architecture should use a data access framework so that it’ll be impossible for attackers to execute SQL injection. And encode any unknown data before sending to the browser. In other words, your web security architecture should make code development as easy as 1-2-3 without engaging with the most common risks and threats.

On top of that, your security architecture should have a contingency plan in case it fails such as employing a hybrid security solution.  This will help you deploy mechanisms that will alert and prevent the damage from getting worse when there’s a sign of a potential breach to avoid serious and catastrophic disasters. Having multiple layers of security, such as firewalls, may help enable this and make it fully functional.

Here are other practices that may help build a strong web security architecture:

  • Establish a central authority where all requests can get appropriate authorization.
  • Record all security updates and monitor them closely to identify any potential threat.
  • Make sure you protect all company data using standard classification levels, such as risks, passwords, and other sensitive details.
  • Use strong passwords and password management tools.

6. Automated Testing

While you can prevent many threats by deploying security measures and protocols, some vulnerabilities may still get into your system. Therefore, it’s essential to conduct regular testing with a vulnerability management solution across the entire development lifecycle.

Here are the two testing tools that may help your testers and developers create a more secure and protected web application:

  • Static Application Security Testing

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is a tool to test and evaluate static codes for possible security errors and failures. This includes, SQL injections, logic bombs, buffer overruns, etc. A certified quality analyst should perform the testing and examine the outcomes.

In addition, this interactive testing is ideal during development, particularly when conducting application assessment, to identify where problems are.

  • Dynamic Application Security Testing 

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) is a tool used to analyze how an attacker would launch their attacks. This can be done by running the app the way cybercriminals would.

With this tool, you’ll be able to test the application during its actual use and identify potential threats and vulnerabilities that may only be seen when in use. Also, it’s capable of testing web app infrastructure aside from portions of available codes.

Final Words

Web security is crucial for developing applications to ensure that every piece of data that enters and leaves the system is secure at all times.

When creating a web security strategy, you must ensure you include all six critical components. By doing so, you’ll be able to ensure and provide the highest level of protection for your web application.

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