In the last decade, millions of people have used the Web to communicate and conduct business with their customers. This includes web-based applications that collect and store data. This includes information about customers supplied through content management systems and online shopping carts, inquiry forms or login fields.
Because these applications are internet-connected and can be accessed from anywhere in the world They are vulnerable to attacks that exploit weaknesses in the application or its infrastructure. SQL injection attacks, which exploit weaknesses in databases, could compromise databases that hold sensitive data. Attackers may also use an advantage gained through hacking a Web application to find and access other vulnerable systems on your network.
Other typical Web attack types include Cross Site Scripting attacks (XSS) that exploit weaknesses in the web server to inject malicious code into web pages, it executes as an infected program in the victim’s browser. This enables attackers to steal confidential information or redirect the user to websites that offer phishing. Web forums, message boards, and blogs are especially vulnerable to XSS attacks.
Distributed attacks on service (DDoS) involve hackers banding together to overwhelm a website with more requests than it can handle. This can cause a website to lag or even shut down completely. This interferes with the ability to handle requests, making it unusable to everyone. DDoS attacks can be devastating to small businesses like local bakeries or restaurants that depend on their website for operations.