Hacking attacks are carried out by professionals who use their knowledge of information technology to break into systems and obtain confidential information.

They can be divided into two groups: those doing it for profit and those doing it for revenge or fun. In any case, hacker attacks can cause significant damage to companies, leading to the loss of confidential data, interruption of service, and even the disclosure of sensitive information.

There are several hacking attacks, but some are more common than others. This article covers the three most common types of attacks and how your business can defend against them.

Why Would Your Company Be The Target Of A Hacker Attack?

Your company can be the target of a hacker attack for several reasons. Your systems may contain vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to access your internal networks.

 Furthermore, hackers can also use phishing techniques to access your email accounts or other online services. 

If hackers can gain access to your internal networks, they could steal your data or damage your operations. That’s why your organization must take steps to protect against these attacks.

How To Defend Yourself?

Step-1

To defend against this type of attack, it is important that your company’s employees are aware of these fraudulent emails and do not click on any suspicious links. Also, it’s important to have good anti-spam software to filter out these fraudulent emails before they reach your employees’ inboxes. Malware is malicious software that can infect a computer and cause various problems, such as stealing user personal information or spreading malware to other computers. 

Step-2

To defend against this type of threat, it is important to install good antivirus software on your computer and make regular backups of the data stored on it.

 Additionally, your company’s employees must be on the lookout for suspicious emails or download links. DDoS (Denial of Service) is an attack that aims to prevent access to a website or online service by sending massive requests to that website/service. This attack can harm a company, preventing customers/users from accessing their products/services online. 

Step-3

To defend against this type of threat, it is important to have a good firewall installed and properly configured to block these unwanted requests. 

In addition, it is important to constantly monitor your company’s network traffic to detect this attack early. SQL Injection is a type of attack that aims to exploit vulnerabilities in SQL queries used by the website/service to obtain sensitive data from its database. 

This type of threat can be very dangerous as it allows hackers to get passwords, credit card numbers, DNS servers, DNS hijacking, anonymous redirects, etc., and they can modify them in the existing database and delete them completely.

Step-4

According to OWASP, the best practices to prevent a SQL attack are:

• Queries parameterization
• Using “stored procedures.”
• Escape all user-supplied input
• Limit access privileges

Brute force attacks are the most common and can be easily avoided. They involve using automated programs to try to guess passwords or encryption keys. These programs can test thousands of combinations per second, making it difficult for system administrators to monitor and block all attacks.

Step-5

The best way to protect against brute force attacks is to use strong, unique passwords for all users and applications. Passwords must be at least 8 characters long and include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. System administrator accounts must also have strong passwords.

Another measure you can take to protect against brute-force attacks is to limit the number of login attempts per IP. This means that if a hacker tries to guess passwords using an automated program, he can only make a limited number of attempts before the system’s firewall blocks his IP.

Also Read: What Is Malware, And What Are Its Main Types

Cyberattacks On Web Applications: With the popularity of web applications and APIs, so have increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.

Cybercriminals are constantly developing new ways to exploit vulnerabilities and gain unauthorized access to data and other resources. 

In this article, we’ll look at the nature of these attacks and list some strategic and practical measures organizations can use to protect their web applications and APIs from cyberattacks.

Why Worry About Cyberattacks?

Cyberattacks have become much more common, with hackers aiming to obtain confidential data, perform malicious activities and use computing resources. For this reason, web applications and APIs need sufficient protection to prevent them from being targeted by cyber-attacks. 

The concern with the security of web applications and APIs is not limited only to their code or infrastructure; it must cover other areas directly related to security. Companies should consider using strong passwords and proper encryption to protect data in web applications and APIs.

It’s also important to keep an eye on new security-related technologies and stay informed about the latest security vulnerabilities. Organizations must also be concerned about the security of employees and web application users, ensuring they are protected from cyber-attacks.

Finally, it is important to implement a detailed security plan to ensure that the security of web applications and APIs is properly maintained. Security concerns regarding web applications and APIs should not be overlooked, as cyberattacks pose a great risk to both.

How To Avoid Brute Force Attacks?

Web applications and APIs are becoming increasingly exposed to cyberattacks as modern technology makes it easier for hackers to access systems illegally.

One of the most common methods for cyberattacks against web applications and APIs is brute force. Brute force is the attempt to guess passwords or other access keys en masse, taking advantage of security settings or holes. 

These cyberattacks are difficult to detect and prevent as they are carried out using automated methods. The best way to protect against brute force attacks is to ensure that passwords are encrypted or hidden and to limit the number of login attempts. 

Regular scanning of access logs also helps to detect suspicious activities and prevent cyber attacks.

How To Protect Sensitive Data?

Cyber ​​threats are increasingly present in the digital world. Cyberattacks on web applications and APIs pose major risks to information security, and care is essential when developing and maintaining information systems. 

To protect a company’s sensitive data, it is necessary to have some security measures in place, such as encryption, authentication, and authorization. 

Keeping systems up-to-date, raising user awareness about information security, and training specialized teams are essential to ensure data protection. 

Implementing monitoring solutions to identify cyber-attack threats and running security tests are critical to mitigating cyber-attack risks.

What Is Multifactor Authentication?

Protecting web applications and APIs is increasingly important with the increasing demand for digital resources. A very effective technique for increasing security is multifactor authentication.

Multi Factor authentication can prevent cyberattacks by verifying multiple security information before authenticating a user.

For example, in addition to the password, a user may be required to enter a temporary security code sent via SMS or use a biometric device. This information can prevent unauthorized access and protect your system from cyberattacks.

How Do You Secure Web Applications And APIs?

Cybersecurity is an important element that must be considered when creating web applications and APIs. Cyberattacks are frequent, compromising your app’s security and exposing your important data. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself against attacks by cybercriminals. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your apps secure. 

First, it’s important to ensure that login credentials are kept secret. Username and password permissions must be encrypted or hashed and not shared with anyone. 

It’s best to limit access to web apps and APIs to only those needing them. Additionally, all users should be required to use strong passwords to access their applications.

Additionally, it is important to use some encryption methods to protect sensitive data transmitted between your application and other servers. 

End-to-end encryption must be used to ensure data confidentiality. This measure can be especially useful if the information is stored on different servers.

Finally, it’s important to use additional security for web apps and APIs. Access controls must be monitored and enforced at all application levels, including the user authentication layer. 

Two-factor verification is a good practice to ensure end-user protection. These are just some recommendations for keeping web apps and APIs secure. By following these tips, you can be confident that your information is safe and secure.

What Are Secure Libraries?

It’s no secret that cyber-attacks on web applications and APIs pose a serious risk to businesses and users alike. Organizations must prepare and ensure their applications are protected against such a threat. 

One way to do this is through secure libraries. A secure library is a set of resources, tools, code, and applications designed to help protect applications from cyber-attacks. 

These libraries provide:

• Additional security against exploiting vulnerabilities.
• Protection against code-based attacks.
• Protection against denial of service attacks.

They also help block spam, malware, phishing, and other cyber threats. With the help of these libraries, companies can significantly improve their cybersecurity and protect their customers’ and users’ data.

Conclusion

If you are a developer or work in a company that develops web applications and APIs, you must be aware of cyberattack threats. 

This post listed some ways to protect against these attacks, and you must apply them in your projects.

Also Read: Five Practical Tips For Maintaining Data Security