When it comes to startups, data breaches can result in irreparable damage. What’s even more worrying is that as many as 28% of data breaches that have occurred this year involved small businesses, according to a Verizon report.
The truth is, data leaks are the new normal in 2020, along with many other cybersecurity issues. Both large corporations and young startups have been featured in headlines, falling victim to ruthless hackers.
This is why companies of all shapes and sizes need to build an effective cybersecurity program so as to strengthen their technology infrastructure.
For small businesses, The Open Web Application Security Project or OWASP makes understanding online risks easier. What is OWASP, and how can it benefit your business? Keep reading to find out.
What is the OWASP Top 10?
The Open Web Application Security Project is a vital document concerning online security. It sheds light as to a broad consensus regarding the most crucial cybersecurity risks affecting web applications today.
According to Imperva, a company that helps protect businesses against OWASP top 10 attacks, explains further:
“The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a non-profit organization founded in 2001, with the goal of helping website owners and security experts protect web applications from cyber attacks”
OWASP Top 10 is a widely accepted document that prioritizes the most important security risks affecting web applications. Although there are many more than ten security risks, the idea behind the OWASP Top 10 is to make security professionals keenly aware of at least the most critical security risks, and learn how to defend against them.”
The Top 10 Web Application Security Risks
- Injection
- Broken Authentication
- Sensitive Data Exposure
- XML External Entities (XXE)
- Broken Access Control
- Security Misconfiguration
- Cross-Site Scripting XSS
- Insecure Deserialization
- Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
- Insufficient Logging and Monitoring
How to Look for Website Security Vulnerabilities
While we typically use the web for positive reasons, there are countless hidden threats online at all times. These can damage or even hijack websites and consequently use them for malicious purposes.
This is why it is vital to know how to look for when it comes to website security vulnerabilities.
Look for Malware Warning Signs
One of the primary steps in knowing something is wrong is checking for common signs of malware infection.
A neon warning sign comes in the form of a site that constantly drops or freezes, drops in traffic or any unauthorized changes to your website login accounts. An additional indication of malware includes changes in search engine results or Google blacklisting your website.
Dr. Anton Grashion, EMEA Director at Corelight, states, “Cybercriminals exploit the edges where the single components of a distributed model join together as potential entry points.
Going through this forced digital transformation while maintaining a rigorous security posture can be challenging, so being able to detect, understand and reduce the mean-time-to-answer questions about our network’s security posture has never been more important.”
Know the Common Threats Affecting Websites
As previously mentioned, the OWASP top ten sheds light on the most common website vulnerabilities out there. Startups need to be aware of the common threats and also understand the weaknesses that hackers can exploit within the website code.
You can protect your startup from these cyber threats by investing in automated website scanning as well as malware removal solutions. Additionally, daily website security scans will let you know instantly if there are any issues found on your systems prior to it having any long-term, expensive and brand-damaging consequences.
Imperva not only protects your business against OWASP top ten attacks but also includes security and ease of mind when it comes to:
- DDoS protection
- CDN
- Bot management
- API security
- Account takeover protection
- RASP
- Attack analytics
Final Word
Whether we’re talking about a multinational enterprise or a startup, it is well known that customers are the driving force to a successful business. It goes without saying that protecting your customers’ sensitive information is essential in keeping their confidence and trust in what you do.
The year 2020 has been turbulent, to say the least, especially when it comes to cyberattacks. This is why looking to the OWASP top 10 and knowing which online vulnerabilities you need to keep an eye out for is key to keeping your business alive.
Investing in building a more robust cybersecurity system for your startup or small business can be the only determining difference between failure and success. Have you put your best foot forward?
