In the past decade, millions have used the Web to communicate and conduct business with their customers. This you could look here includes the use of web-based applications that gather and store data, including customer information submitted via content management systems shopping carts inquiry or submit forms, and login fields.

Since these applications are online-based and frequently accessible from anywhere in the world they are at risk for attacks on security that exploit weaknesses in the application or its supporting infrastructure. SQL injection attacks which exploit weaknesses within databases, could compromise databases that hold sensitive data. Attackers can leverage the foothold they gain through compromising your Web application to identify other systems that are more vulnerable in your network.

Other typical Web attack types include Cross Site Scripting attacks (XSS), which exploit vulnerabilities in the web server to inject malicious code into web pages, and which then executes as a virus-infected script within the victim’s browser. This enables attackers to obtain confidential information or to redirect the user to websites that offer phishing. XSS attacks are the most frequent on message boards, blogs and web forums.

Distributed attacks on service (DDoS) are when hackers band together to overwhelm a website with more requests than it is able to handle. This can cause a website to slow or even shut down completely. This can affect the ability of the website to process requests, making it inaccessible to all. This is why DDoS attacks can be especially damaging for small businesses that depend on their websites for operations like local bakeries or restaurants.