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Tag: Website Security

Website Security Vulnerabilities

The OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping businesses design, buy, and manage secure apps and APIs. The OWASP Top 10 is largely intended to raise awareness. However, since its introduction in 2003, enterprises have used it as a de-facto industry AppSec standard. If you’re going to utilize the OWASP Top 10 as coding or testing standard, keep in mind that it’s only a starting point.

Top most common security vulnerabilities usually found in websites across the globe are as follows:

Broken Access Control
Users cannot behave outside of their specified permissions because of access control. Failures frequently result in unauthorized information disclosure, alteration, or loss of all data. Also, it might lead to the execution of a business function beyond the user’s capabilities. Access control is effective only when there exist trustworthy server-side programs or server-less APIs and the access control validation or metadata cannot be modified by the attacker.

Insecure Design
Insecure design refers to a variety of flaws, such as “missing or inadequate control design”. There is a distinction to be made between insecure design and insecure execution. The first is for design problems, whereas the second is for implementation flaws. Implementation flaws can lead to weaknesses in a secure design. Because necessary security measures were never established to fight against specific threats, unsafe designs cannot be rectified by faultless execution. The absence of a business risk profile inherent in the software or system is created. Therefore, failure to decide the level of security design required is one of the reasons that lead to unsafe design.

Security Misconfiguration
Inadequately set permissions on cloud services or a lack of sufficient security hardening across any portion of the application stack. Systems are more vulnerable without a determined, repeatable application security setup procedure. A repeatable hardening procedure makes deploying another environment that is suitably locked down. The development, QA, and production environments should all be set up the same way, with separate credentials for each. To reduce the time and effort necessary to set up a new secure environment, this procedure should be automated.

Vulnerable and Outdated Components
Software such as OS, web/application server, database management systems, applications, APIs, runtime environments, and libraries are vulnerable, unsupported, or out of date. This involves utilizing tools like versions, OWASP dependency check, retire.js, and others to constantly inventory the versions of both client-side and server-side components and their dependencies. Continuously check for vulnerabilities in the components using resources such as the CVE (Common Vulnerability and Exposures) and the NVD (National Vulnerability Database). Automate the process by utilizing software composition analysis tools.

Identification and Authentication Failures
To guard against authentication-related threats, users’ identities must be confirmed, authentication must be performed, and sessions must be managed. If the program allows credential stuffing when the attacker has a list of legitimate usernames and passwords, there may be authentication vulnerabilities. Memorized secrets or other contemporary, evidence-based password rules should follow the recommendations in section 5.1.1 of NIST 800-63b.

Software and Data Integrity Failures
Code and infrastructure that do not guard against integrity violations are referred to as software and data integrity failures. Unauthorized access, malicious code, or system compromise can all be risks of an unsecured CI/CD pipeline. Finally, many programs now have auto-update capabilities, which allow updates to be obtained without necessary integrity checks and applied to previously trusted applications. Attackers might theoretically distribute and run their own updates across all systems. Another example is unsecured deserialization, which occurs when objects or data are encoded or serialized into a structure that an attacker may see and manipulate. Use a software supply chain security tool, such as OWASP dependency-check or OWASP CycloneDX, to ensure that components do not contain known vulnerabilities.

Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
This category is designed to assist in the detection, escalation, and response to active security breaches. Breaches cannot be identified without logging and monitoring. It could happen at any moment because of insufficient recording, detection, monitoring, and active reaction. Custom dashboards and alerts are available in commercial and open-source application security frameworks like the OWASP ModSecurity Core Rule Set. Security experts also use the open-source log correlation tool ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) stack.

Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
When a web application fetches a remote resource without verifying the URL provided by the user, an SSRF vulnerability occurs. Even when secured by a firewall, VPN, or another form of network access control list, it permits an attacker to force the program to submit a forged request to an unexpected location. Fetching a URL has become a typical scenario as current online applications provide quite resourceful functionalities to end-users. As a result, SSRF is becoming more prevalent. Because of cloud services and the complexity of architectures, the severity of SSRF is also increasing.

Centex Technologies develops secure web portals for clients. For more information on cybersecurity and secure web applications, contact Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

Simple Steps To Ensure Business Website Security


Website security refers to the applications or actions taken to make sure that website data is not exposed to unauthorized access or other forms of exploitation. It is important to pay attention to website security in order to protect your business website from DDoS attacks, malware, blacklisting, vulnerability exploitation and defacement. Website security is also important to protect your website users from personal data theft, phishing schemes, session hijacking, malicious redirects, etc.

Since the need for website security is imperative, here are some necessary steps to help you protect your business website:

  • SSL Certificate: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organization’s details. An SSL Certificate binds together a domain name and server/host name with an organization’s identity and location. When you install an SSL Certificate on a webserver, it activates the padlock and https protocol to ensure secure connection between the server and a web browser. It helps businesses in encrypting credit card transactions and securing data transfers or process logins.
  • Install Security Plugins: Depending upon the fact that whether you are running a Content Management System (CMS)-managed website or HTML pages, you can choose plugins to enhance website security. Consult your website developers to choose suitable plugins for maximum benefit. Plugins help in addressing the security vulnerabilities that may be inherent in the website building platform.
  • Use Parametrized Queries: A hacker can launch an SQL injection attack by using a web form field or URL parameter to gain access to or manipulate your database. If you use standard transact SQL, it is possible to insert rogue codes in the query that may be easily used by hackers to modify tables, access information or delete data. Thus, it is advisable to explicitly parametrize your queries in order to prevent the modification of queries by the hackers.
  • Content Security Policy (CSP): XSS (Cross-Site Scripting attacks are another common type of cyber-attacks against business websites. Hackers inject malicious JavaScript in your webpages. When a user visits the website, this JavaScript runs in his browser. It is capable of changing the page content or stealing information from user’s device. This information is sent back to the attacker. In order to protect your business website from this type of attack, CSP acts as a powerful tool. CSP is a header that can be returned by the server to inform the browser about how and what JavaScript should be executed in the page. For example, it may have configuration commands to disable scripts that are not hosted on your domain.

Website security has many other aspects such as diligently choosing error messages to prevent users from viewing sensitive information, locking file permissions, etc. Thus, it is advisable to seek services from professional website security providers.

For more information on steps to ensure website security, call Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

Effects Of Computer Hacking On Organizations

Computer hacking is the term used for describing the act of gaining access to a computer without authorization and by unfair means. Hacking is generally performed for financial benefits; however, hackers may have variety of other motives as well. Some of these motives include stealing sensitive data, learning business secrets, defaming an organization, etc.

As computer hacking incidents have increased in the corporate world, it has given rise to an increased need for cyber security among organizations. But, before deciding a course of protection against cyberattacks or hacking, it is necessary to understand the effects of computer hacking on organizations or businesses.

  • Identity Theft: Organizations maintain a wide variety of information databases on their computers including financial information of customers, business credit card information, confidential accounts, etc. They may also store files with employee information such as home address, health information, Social Security Number and other personal details. If a computer hacker gains access to this sensitive information, he may impersonate an employee or customer leading to identity theft. This poses a threat to the employees, customers as well as reputation of the organization.
  • Stolen Trade Secrets: In addition to stolen customer information, hackers may also steal trade secrets of an organization. They may sell these trade secrets to a business competitor which may result in a serious blow to the market position of the victim organization.
  • Website Security: As internet marketing and E-commerce has taken over the businesses, websites play an important role in attracting new customers and offering internet feasibility to existing customers. However, if a computer hacker gains access to the website, he may destroy the website data, compromise customer transactions, alter the product information and steal financial information. Some hackers may use malicious viruses to permanently destroy the website data, which can cause huge financial loss.
  • Email: Email hacking is a well explored forte by the computer hackers. Once they gain access to the email accounts of an organization’s employees; they may exploit the accounts for eavesdropping on business communication, send illegitimate emails to clients and steal confidential documents or other sensitive data.
  • Defamation: Hackers may have a personal grudge against an organization or the ideologies that a business follows. Thus, they may hack the social media accounts of the organization to post obscenity, fake announcements, change the look of social media page, etc. These actions may lead to serious and widespread defamation of the organization.

Considering the impacts of computer hacking and the numerous roadblocks it can create in the success of an organization; it is important to make efforts to keep your business safe. Following are some ways to keep your organization protected:

  • Invest in cybersecurity
  • Keep the computer software updated
  • Regularly update the antivirus
  • Maintain a back-up of your data
  • Educate your employees about computer hacking and sources of attack

For more information on how to protect your organization’s data and ways to implement different computer security measures, call Centex Technologies at (254) 213 – 4740.

The Different Types Of Web-Based Attacks

20 December, 2016

With majority of the business operations being conducted online, web based attacks are continually on the rise. Cyber criminals devise innovative and more sophisticated techniques to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities in the web applications. The motive behind these attacks may be different, to steal a company’s sensitive information, display spam advertizements on the website or download malware to the user’s computer.

Discussed below are the different types of web based attacks:

Structured Query Language (SQL) Injection

SQL injection is a common technique that involves injecting a malicious code to alter the sensitive information in the website’s back-end database. It may also be performed to steal payment card details, username and password as well as insert spam links to the website. SQL attacks are quite easy to execute and can severely compromise the data security of a company.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Cross-site scripting (XSS) can be defined as a client-side code injection attack in which the hacker injects a malicious script, predominantly JavaScript, in a legitimate website. As these scripts appear to be from a trusted source, they are often executed by the end users. This, in turn, allows the hacker to gain access to the cookies, session tokens, passwords and other sensitive information.

Drive-By Downloads

In this type of attack, the hackers tamper a web application with an HTML code that stealthily downloads a malware whenever a user visits the website. Once downloaded, the program may execute itself to record keystrokes, access important files, hijack online banking sessions or use the computer as a part of botnet.

Brute Force

Brute force attacks are mainly targeted attempts to decode a user’s login credentials. In this, the hackers use a trial and error method using different user names as well as passwords till they are able to identify the correct one. Creating strong passwords and limiting the number of invalid login attempts may help to prevent a brute force attack.

DoS And DDoS

Denial of service (DoS) and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are carried out by flooding a website with traffic from multiple sources, making it unavailable for the genuine users. In a DoS attack, a single computer system may attempt to crash the target server with data packets. A DDoS attack is when multiple computers, widely distributed in a botnet, send simultaneous requests to slow down and ultimately halt the web server.

We, at Centex Technologies, can help to protect your corporate network from different web-based attacks. For more information, you can call us at (855) 375 – 9654.

Common Website Security Issues

September 29, 2016

Website security is one of the major issues faced by businesses of all sizes. Even a minor mistake in website coding may increase the risk of unauthorized access by the hackers. Without proper security measures in place, there are higher chances that the database may be manipulated or the hacker may infiltrate the restricted parts of the website.

Listed below are some common website security issues that business owners need to watch out:

SQL Injection

Structured Query Language (SQL) injection is one of the most prevalent attack vectors used by the cybercriminals. In this, a malicious code is injected to delete important data, steal payment card details, insert spam links into your website or alter sensitive information stored in the back-end database.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

It can be defined as a technique in which the hackers inject a malicious client-side script, usually JavaScript, directly into the website. Once the user visits the infected URL, the code gets executed and allows the hacker with access to the browser’s session tokens as well as cookies or redirect the user to other malicious websites.

Cookie Tampering

Cookies are a vital part of website development that allow users to log in to a website, view personalized ads and promotional offers as well as manage items in a shopping cart. Cookies can also be tampered or hijacked by the cybercriminals to create fake user accounts and capture information of the logged in users. This can ultimately evoke serious consequences for your website, particularly if you do not have any set criterion to validate cookies.

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

In a cross-site request forgery, the user is tricked to perform a malicious action when he is logged in to the website. The attack mainly involves two stages – attracting the logged-in users to another malicious website and using their online identity to post spam comments or collect confidential data. Social media websites, online banking portals and web-based email clients are the most common targets for a cross-site request forgery.

Email Form Header Injection

This form of vulnerability is not much common and often overlooked by web developers. It occurs when the hacker injects a malicious code into the website’s contact form to send out bulk emails. This can eventually cause your website, email address and web server to be blacklisted for sending spam emails.

Contact Centex Technologies for complete website security solutions for your business firm in Central Texas.  We can be reached at (855) 375 – 9654.

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