When we talk about Web security, we typically think about the common OWASP-type elements: SQL injection, cross-site scripting, passwords, encryption and the like. That’s fine but those areas can’t be our only focus. There’s so much more to managing information risks that’s often overlooked. Ask…
Web Passwords are Often the Weakest Link
Of the highly-visible hacks and data breaches over the past year, a large number of them were related to criminal hackers cracking weak Web passwords. This is arguably the most common Web flaw and something that anyone can exploit at any time. The bad guys…
Web Security is Like the Layers of an Onion
If you’ve ever peeled an onion, you’ve seen the multiple layers that make up its existence all the way to the core. Securing your Web presence requires the same approach and it’s called “layered security”. Also referred to as “defense-in-depth”, the layered web security approach…
Acunetix WVS 8 Released Candidate Now Available!
We are pleased to announce a Release Candidate (RC) of the much-awaited Acunetix Web Vulnerability Scanner, version 8. This build fixes issues that were reported during the Beta stages of development and also adds a number of improvements which boost the accuracy of checks and…
To Validate or Not, Is That the Question?
Recently, a project manager I work with asked me if I had manually validated a set of security flaws I uncovered during a web security assessment. The flaws in question were related to the server host and not the actual Web application. I actually had…
The critical Web-based systems that are going untested and unsecured
I recently participated in a webinar aimed at helping physical security professionals, corporate security managers and others responsible for both physical and logical security. This is an area of security that doesn’t get near the attention it deserves – especially when it comes to the…
What Does Having a Hacked Website Mean?
When someone hacks a website, what are they trying to accomplish? Some just do it for fun while others have more dangerous things in mind and even worse, financial interests. Some hackers like to show off and will maybe replace your home page with a…
WordPress Version 3.3.1 released
A new version of WordPress is available for download. WordPress version 3.3.1 includes a fix for a disclosed reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability reported by Joshua H., Hoang T., Stefan Zimmerman, Chris K and the GoDaddy team. It also includes 15 other fixes for several other…
Securing FTP Running on Your Web Server
I’ve had several questions from clients recently on how they can to secure FTP running on their web servers. The easy and short-sighted response would be “Are you nuts? You need to run FTP on a dedicated server!” However, looking at it from a business…