Over the past decade, millions of businesses and organizations have taken to the Web as a cost-effective method to communicate with customers as well as conduct business. This includes the use of web applications that collect and store data such as customer data submitted via content management systems, shopping carts inquiry or submit forms, and login fields.
They are usually accessible via the Internet and are able to be hacked in order to exploit weaknesses within the application, or in its infrastructure. SQL injection attacks that exploit weaknesses in databases, can cause damage to databases that hold sensitive data. Attackers may also use an advantage gained by breaching a Web application to identify and gain access to other, more vulnerable systems on your network.
Cross Site Scripting (XSS) is a different Web attack type. This exploits the weaknesses of web servers to inject malicious code in web pages. The script then runs in the victim’s web browser. This allows attackers access to confidential information or redirect users to sites that offer phishing. Web forums, message boards, and blogs are particularly susceptible to XSS attacks.
Distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS) are when hackers band together to pummel a website with more requests than it can handle. This can cause a website to lag or even shut down completely. This hinders the ability of the website to additional info process requests, making it inaccessible to everyone. DDoS attacks can be devastating for small-scale businesses, such as local bakery or restaurant that rely on their websites to run.