Web Application Security

Constantly improving your web applications allows you to unlock new business opportunities.

However, you must be aware of the risks of modernizing your web applications, as it may generate new security vulnerabilities that malicious actors are ready to exploit. Thus, when thinking about web application security, you must keep in mind:

1. Follow all the paths to strengthen the application security

2. Actionable strategies for mitigating security threats and risks

3. Plan to defend against business logic attacks

JavaScript is an interpreted language, meaning everybody can use a browser debugger to go through the JS code and read or modify it.

The accessibility of client-side JavaScript code through browser debugging tools does not inherently create vulnerabilities. However, it does introduce potential security risks, as attackers can exploit this access to identify and target weaknesses in unprotected code.

Therefore, businesses must consider the security risks posed to their web applications, especially the ones that handle sensitive user data, such as mobile banking, streaming services, online retailers, and e-commerce.

The frequent attacks against web applications include:

• Cross-site scripting.

• Man-in-the-middle and man-in-the-browser attacks. 

• Sensitive data leakage

• Customer journey hijacking.

According to an Accenture study in 2019, cybercrime could cost companies US$5.2 trillion over the next five years, says Accenture.

Security technologies are crucial for limiting client-side vulnerabilities and web application weaknesses exploitation by malicious actors.

Web application threats can destroy users' trust, business assets, brand loyalty, and companies' reputations. Hence, web application security is urgent for all organizations, regardless of the size or industry.

You can improve your web application’s security by following this quick checklist:

• Information gathering: Be aware of all third-party scripts and libraries used in your web application and ensure they are kept up-to-date.
  
  

• Authorization: Implement strong authorization controls to ensure only authorized users access specific resources and functionality.
  
  

• Cryptography: Use encryption methods to protect sensitive data during transmission and follow best practices to safely store and manage cryptographic keys.
  
  

• Denial of service: enhance an application’s resilience against denial of service threats.
  
  

Side note: it is mandatory to follow and apply other security-related measures, like Input Validation, Session Management, Error Handling and Logging, and Regular Security Testing, among others.

Web developers can build apps to prevent attackers from accessing sensitive data and performing client-side attacks.

The OWASP 10 updated list of common application security risks are:

1. Broken Access Control

2. Cryptographic Failures

3. Injection

4. Insecure Design

5. Security Misconfiguration

6. Vulnerable and Outdated Components

7. Identification and Authentication Failures

8. Software and Data Integrity Failures

9. Security Logging and Monitoring Failures

10. Server-Side Request Forgery
    
    

Therefore, we highlight some application security best practices for organizations and their vendors:

1. Develop a web application security blueprint.

2. Create an inventory of all web apps.

3. Require input validation.

4. Use solid authentication and authorization.

5. Perform the tracking of APIs.

6. Monitor web pages for changes.

7. Document code changes.

8. Review the client-side logic during a web application security test.

9. Prioritize security vulnerabilities.
   
   

Side note: web app security is an always-changing area and industry. Consequently, our best practices must be flexible and open to change as the cyber security attacks and vulnerabilities in the enterprise world also change.

More than 75% of cyberattacks target applications and their vulnerabilities. Web application security policies and solutions aim to protect applications through measures such as multi-factor authentication for users and web application firewalls.

Organizations must adopt application shielding and third-party management techniques to protect web apps from malicious actors. It includes protecting the client-side source code through a multi-layered approach while gaining visibility of all third-party code running on the web app or website.

Client-side security raises as a crucial web app security strategy. Why?

The modern enterprise world runs on apps, from online banking to e-commerce. Consequently, applications are a target for attackers who seek to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, such as issues related to open-source code, third-party scripts, and access control.

On September 1, 2023, Jscrambler announced its inclusion for the third consecutive year in Gartner’s® 2023 Hype Cycle for Application Security.

Jscrambler,  a leading client-side security solution for JavaScript in-app protection, delivers client-side security, streamlining compliance, visibility, and reporting.

Side note: The best way to ensure that JavaScript code is secure is by utilizing multiple layers of security solutions. This approach enables secure code to resist the threats posed by attackers.