In today’s world, web applications are almost an essential part of most peoples’ day. There are applications for searching the Internet, transferring money between bank accounts, and posting pictures of your friends and family. None of these services would be possible without the web applications which are accessible to anyone, anywhere and anytime. Securing these applications while maintaining high standards of accessibility has become mandatory, although it remains difficult and some applications fall victim to individuals able to exploit small vulnerabilities. To find and defend against the breaching of these potential weak spots, testing techniques are typically employed during most if not all stages in the software development process.
The first part of the security assurance process involves clearly stated objectives. Setting priorities and minimum standards for the security levels your software is required to exhibit is just as important as any other stage in the development process. Next, outline procedures designed to guide the secure development of the application according to the standards set in the previous step. Using a piece of software referred to as a “vulnerability scanner” or some other system penetration tools is a good way to implement outlined standards, delivering software to customers which meets their demands in a reliable and secure way. Your ability to respond to threats and weaknesses remains impossible without first identifying where they lie with scanning programs. Only after knowing what to repair or reinforce can the repairs and reinforcements be made. The strength of good vulnerability scanning software rests not only in its comprehensive ability to detect attacks but also in its ability to remain relevant against new attacks.
After developing your application to be as secure as possible and scanning it for vulnerabilities not initially detected, professionals must be employed to rake a finer comb over the product until its defenses are prepared to resist a multitude of attacks. A properly secured web application requires an equally secure infrastructure upon which to operate. Firewall software and professional strength anti-virus software installed are the next phase in web application security. There are dozens of licensed, commercially available programs as well as open source solutions to the challenge of securing your company’s servers. Finally, apply a little common sense alongside a strong plan for secure development and the use of additional tools for even greater security assurance. Common sense will help determine what information or applications need to be stored on servers open to attacks; it will also help you decide what sort of security measures to explore to protect sensitive data which must be stored where it could be subject to security threats.
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