OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities is a list of the 10 most common security vulnerabilities in applications. The Top 10 OWASP web application security vulnerabilities are updated every 3-4 years. Last updated in 2017, the vulnerabilities featuring on the list are:
OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities help raise awareness of the latest threats facing websites and web applications. Organizations and developers can leverage this list to ensure secure coding, tune up security and keep their security posture fortified.
In this article, we equip you with 10 power-packed tips to protect your applications against the OWASP Top 10.
The Zero-Trust approach holds that the organization must ‘never trust and always verify’ instead of ‘trust, but verify’. This approach enables organizations to minimize risks associated with web applications by analyzing security gaps involved. Zero-Trust approach must be adopted whether it is users, employees, vendors, or third-party service providers. This helps in protecting against a majority of OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities including brute force attacks, XSS attacks, injections, and so on.
Next-gen, intuitive and managed WAFs like those from AppTrana enable organizations to prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited. It monitors traffic and automatically blocks malicious requests. It uses virtual patching to cover vulnerabilities until they are fixed by developers.
To mitigate broken authentication vulnerabilities, implementing a strong password policy and multi-factor authentication are critical.
Whether in transit or at rest, make sure that all sensitive data is encrypted. Do not store sensitive data in devices; store it in a secure server that is not used to host public websites. Encrypt passwords that are used to access confidential data. Make sure to hold sensitive data only if necessary for the work at hand.
For data in transit, leverage SSL certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA). SSL certificates encrypt all communication and data exchange between the server and browser.
Establishing role-based access controls is critical for protection against OWASP web application security vulnerabilities. Adopt a least-privileged approach when it comes to authorization and permissions with each role only getting the lowest level of access necessary to complete their jobs. For every request, the backend processes must verify the incoming identifiers to ensure that only authorized entities are accessing data.
Delete accounts that are no longer in use. If there are multiple access points, disable the ones that are not necessary. Shut down unnecessary services and keep the server lean.
Validating all user inputs (in query forms, query parameters, uploads, etc.) is a must. Input validation helps ensure that any data inputs on the application are not malformed/ malicious. It is critical to protect against OWASP web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injections, XXE injections, XSS, buffer overflows, and so on.
Leverage logging and audit software to monitor and detect nefarious activities. Even if detected attacks failed, logging and monitoring offer invaluable insights on the source and vector of attacks. Further, they can be used to analyze how to prevent intrusions in the future by hardening security policies.
Regular scanning, security audits, and penetration testing are necessary. They help to continuously identify OWASP top ten security vulnerabilities and beyond, understand their exploitability, prioritize based on risks attached and remediate them.
Inherently insecure code will lead to weak application security. Following secure coding practices is indispensable for organizations.
Bonus Tip: Update your knowledge and educate all users continuously.
Conclusion
OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities list serves as a great starting point to foster a culture of secure development and usage of web applications. Remember that these are not the only vulnerabilities out there and that securing these alone will not automatically lead to complete security. Choose an intuitive, comprehensive, and managed solution like AppTrana to harden the security posture.
This post was last modified on November 15, 2023 11:08
Explore crucial tactics like Asset Inventory, Patch Management, Access Control & Authentication, and additional best… Read More
Delve into the data privacy questions including consent protocols, data minimization strategies, user rights management,… Read More
Secure Node.js APIs using best practices: Employ proper HTTP methods, robust authentication, and API-specific security… Read More