A blog post about the top 3 technologies malicious hackers use to attack web servers and defend against them. The tools and techniques hackers use to attack web servers are constantly evolving. As the internet becomes more popular, so does the need for security professionals who can identify vulnerabilities in software and systems and develop methods of mitigating those threats.
In this post, we’ll discuss three standard techniques used by hackers to compromise web servers and how to mitigate them:
- Brute force attack: A brute force attack is when the hacker uses a computer program to try every possible combination of letters, numbers, and special characters until they find one that works. This technique can be very time-consuming, depending on the complexity of the password used by the server. However, it’s very effective because most passwords are only six characters long and contain common words or phrases that can easily be guessed.
Mitigate brute force attack: The best way to protect against a brute force attack is to use strong passwords that are less likely to be guessed. Ideally, your passwords should:
- Have at least eight characters
- Contain upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special symbols (e.g., !@#$%^&*)
- Not contain any words in common with other users’ passwords. To help prevent brute force attacks, use a longer password and don’t use common words or phrases.
- Use a password manager like LastPass or KeePass, which generates and stores passwords in an encrypted database that can only be unlocked with a master password.
- Use two-factor authentication whenever possible: This technique requires you to enter your username and password and a one-time code sent via text message or email before allowing access to the server from an unfamiliar IP address or device.
- SQL injection attack: A SQL injection attack is when the hacker inserts malicious code into a web application to break into a database. The hacker then uses this access to steal information or modify data on the server. This attack is widespread because many databases are not adequately secured against it.
Mitigate SQL injection attack:
- Sanitize and validate the parameters that are received from the user
- Use parameterized queries: Instead of using a string to define the SQL query, use parameters in your queries.
- Use stored procedures: Stored procedures are more secure than dynamic SQL because they are precompiled and can only be executed by the server that created them.
- Cross-site scripting: A cross-site scripting attack is when the hacker injects malicious code into a website to gain access to user data on that server. This attack often occurs when a user visits an infected website, sending malicious code back to the server where it’s hosted.
Mitigate Cross-Site scripting:
- Cross-site scripting attacks are mitigated by using input validation. This can be done with a WAF or by using regular expressions to strip out malicious code before it’s processed.
- Configure the WAF to block all requests that contain common malicious strings and characters, such as “>” and “<“
Conclusion
The best way to mitigate these attacks is to have a WAF. The WAF will protect you from known and unknown threats, including cross-site scripting attacks. A WAF also helps prevent other attacks, such as SQL injection, which targets vulnerable websites by injecting malicious code into their databases.