What are cyber security threats to web applications? How to protect web application from these cyber security threats?

There are several cybersecurity threats to web applications, including:

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) - Attackers can inject malicious code into a web page, which can lead to stolen data or unauthorized access.
2. SQL Injection - Attackers can use SQL Injection to bypass authentication or gain access to sensitive data.
3. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) - Attackers can trick users into executing unwanted actions on a website.
4. Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) - Attackers can intercept communications between users and the web application, allowing them to steal data or modify requests.
5. Session Hijacking - Attackers can steal session IDs, allowing them to impersonate a user and perform unauthorized actions.
6. Clickjacking - Attackers can overlay malicious content over legitimate web pages to trick users into clicking on them.
7. DDoS - Attackers can flood a web application with traffic, causing it to slow down or crash.
8. Malware - Attackers can use malware to infect a user's machine and steal sensitive information.
9. Broken Authentication and Session Management - Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in authentication and session management mechanisms to gain unauthorized access.
10. Information Leakage - Attackers can exploit vulnerabilities to extract sensitive information from a web application.

It is important to implement strong security measures in web applications to protect against these threats.

 

Protecting a .NET Core web API from cyber security threats involves implementing various security measures at different levels of the application stack. Here are some general steps you can take to improve the security of your .NET Core web API:

• Secure Authentication: Use a strong authentication mechanism to protect against unauthorized access. Implement authentication schemes like OAuth2 or JWT, which can be used to authenticate and authorize users and their API requests.
• Input validation: Always validate the input received from users to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks. Validate inputs on the server-side as well as the client-side to prevent malicious data from being sent to the server.
• Use HTTPS: Implement HTTPS for secure communication between the client and the server. SSL/TLS certificates provide a secure channel for data exchange, which helps to protect against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
• Implement Rate-Limiting: Implement rate limiting to prevent denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Rate limiting will restrict the number of requests that can be made to the server in a given time period.
• Use Security Headers: Implement HTTP security headers, such as Content Security Policy (CSP), X-XSS-Protection, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options. These headers help protect against various types of attacks, including cross-site scripting (XSS) and clickjacking attacks.
• Regular Updates: Keep your .NET Core web API updated with the latest security patches and updates. This will ensure that any known security vulnerabilities are patched in a timely manner.
• Access Control: Implement proper access controls for your .NET Core web API. Implement role-based access control (RBAC) and assign roles and permissions to users based on their level of access.
• Logging and Monitoring: Enable logging and monitoring to detect and respond to security threats in real-time. Implement logging of all API requests, including any errors or exceptions, to detect and investigate any suspicious activity.
• Secure storage: Store sensitive information such as passwords, keys, and tokens securely by using best practices such as encryption and hashing.
• Defense in depth: Use multiple layers of security controls such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network segmentation to prevent attacks.