Protecting your web applications from security incidents is an essential part of running a successful business. And knowing the security innovation for your apps is also important.
Let’s say that rapid digital transformation since the pandemic has brought benefits for some businesses, but at the same time, cyberattacks can be a nightmare.
One report from Cyber Security Considerations 2022 by KPMG showed that navigating this fluid environment will necessitate a shift in mindset towards one of enablement to focus on striking a balance and making sure that "security is everyone's job," acknowledging its role in establishing and upholding stakeholder, client, and customer trust.
10,016 incidents of cyber incidents in total were submitted to Cyber999, the MyCERT-run centre for responding to cyber security issues, between January and December 2021 operated by Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team.
Thus, cyberattacks linked to security incidents in web apps need to be aware of. To know more about security incidents in a web app, let’s take a look at the information below.
What is a security incident in a web app?
A security incident in a web app is any threat that violates the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of sensitive or confidential data stored in the app. These incidents can occur due to various factors, including software vulnerabilities, human error, or malicious attacks.
Articles from Reciprocity and OWASP showed some examples of security incidents in web apps including:
- Data Breaches: Unauthorised access to sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, or other personal information.
- Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks: Distributed DDoS attacks flood a web app's servers with traffic, rendering them unusable.
- SQL injection attacks: Attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in a web app's code to gain access to sensitive data.
- Cross-site scripting attacks: Attacks that allow attackers to inject malicious code into a web app, allowing them to steal user data.
- Malware infections: Attacks that infect a web app's servers with malware, allowing attackers to gain access to sensitive data.
The Effects of Security Incidents on Web Apps
Preventing security incidents in web apps is important. Let’s say that security incidents can have consequences for both the web app and its users. For example, a data breach in a web app can result in the theft of sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, which can lead to financial damage for both the web app and its users.
Further, security incidents can damage the reputation of the web app. Users may lose trust in the web app if they perceive it as unreliable, hence can decrease usage and revenue.
Security incidents can result in legal and regulatory consequences. For example, data breaches may trigger notification requirements under laws and regulations, which can be costly and time-consuming to comply with.
How to manage and rеѕроnd tо Sесurіtу Inсіdеntѕ
Here are some ways that you can do to manage and respond to security incidents in web apps adopted from Security Boulevard and other sources:
1. Response Plan Development
The first step in managing and responding to security incidents in web apps is to develop an incident response plan. This plan should be comprehensive and cover all possible scenarios, including data breaches, DDoS attacks, and malware infections. It should include:
- Roles and responsibilities: Define who will be responsible for managing and responding to security incidents, including key stakeholders and incident response teams.
- Escalation procedures: Identify the escalation procedures that need to be followed in case of a security incident. This includes notifying senior management, legal counsel, and law enforcement agencies.
- Communication procedures: Establish communication procedures for internal and external stakeholders, including employees, customers, and regulators.
- Remediation procedures: Define the steps required to remediate the security incident, including patching vulnerabilities and restoring systems to a secure state.
- Testing procedures: Develop testing procedures to ensure that the incident response plan is effective and can be implemented quickly and efficiently.
2. Security Incident Detection
The second step in managing and responding to security incidents in web apps is to detect and contain the incident. This involves:
- Identifying the source of the security incident and taking steps to contain it.
- Disconnecting affected systems from the network to prevent further damage.
- Collecting evidence and preserving data for forensic analysis.
3. Security Incident Investigation
Once the incident has been contained, the next step is to investigate and analyse the security incident.
Security incident investigation involves conducting a thorough investigation of the incident, including reviewing system logs, identifying the scope of the incident, and determining the extent of any damage or data loss.
The last is analysing the incident to identify the root cause and determine how the security incident occurred.
4. Recover from the Security Incident
The next step in managing and responding to security incidents in web apps is to remediate and recover from the incident. This involves:
- Implementing measures to remediate the vulnerability or issue that led to the security incident.
- Testing the remediation measures to ensure that they are effective.
- Communicating with internal and external stakeholders to update them on the situation and any remediation measures taken.
- Restoring affected systems to a secure state.
- Conducting a post-incident review to identify any areas for improvement in the incident response plan.
5. Cyber Risk Management
Still from the same source Reciprocity, it is impossible to know how to secure your assets if you are unsure of what those assets are, so begin by establishing and maintaining a list of your company's assets.
Further, you must perform a risk analysis to ascertain the degree of risk that each of those assets poses to your company. The next step is to rank those risks and develop a mitigation strategy for each one you find. It's time to restart the procedure after mitigating your current cyber risks.
If you want to detect vulnerabilities in your systems, software, and applications throughout the risk management process, your business should generally strive to perform both vulnerability assessments on a regular basis.
And the important thing is to choose the tools that can help you prevent, manage and solve security incidents.
How VirtualSpirit Ensures Web Application Security
Security incidents in web apps can be an intimidating challenge, but they can also be managed and responded to with the right strategies. It’s safe to say that businesses are beginning to understand how important it is to incorporate security more thoroughly into the development process. Further, let’s say that external breaches can harm applications, and it makes the security team’s task more daunting.
At VirtualSpirit, we strive to stay updated on new technologies and methods to ensure that the development of web applications is secure from security incidents. Let's discuss to know more about how we can help you.
