In the last decade, millions have used the Web to communicate and conduct business with their customers. This includes the use of web applications which collect and store information such as customer data submitted via content management systems shopping carts and inquiry forms, and login fields.
These applications are usually accessed via the Internet and can be hacked to exploit weaknesses within the application, or in its infrastructure. SQL injection attacks which exploit weaknesses within databases, can compromise databases that hold sensitive data. Attackers also can leverage a foothold gained by breaching the security of a Web application to discover and access other, more vulnerable systems on your network.
Other popular Web attacks include Cross Site Scripting attacks (XSS), which exploit vulnerabilities in the web server to inject malicious code into web pages, and it executes as an infected code in the victim’s browser. This allows attackers to steal private information or redirect users to phishing sites. XSS attacks are most common on message boards, blogs and web forums.
Hackers collaborate to overwhelm websites by sending more requests than the website can handle. This can cause a website’s performance to drop or even shut down completely. This affects the ability of the website to process requests, and makes it inaccessible to everyone. DDoS attacks can be devastating for small businesses, such as local restaurants or bakeries that rely on their websites for operations.