How Does Web Application Security Significantly Improve Overall Security?

Security being an afterthought and not core and integral part of the application development and operations has been a cause of many breaches. Some of the breaches that impacted Equifax, Yahoo, and Marriott have catapulted web application security into the limelight in the past few years. After these incidents and many more we hear, several myths regarding application security have been broken. For instance, the myth that small businesses are not targeted by attackers was broken when it was revealed by available data that over 40% of data breaches are against small businesses. It is becoming increasingly clear that the best and only way to save millions of dollars and reputational damage for the business is by investing effort and resources into effective web application security.

In this article, the importance of web app security, its relation to overall security, and measures to fortify it will be discussed.

Why Does Application Security Matter?

Today, there are over 1.7 billion websites and several other online applications/ programs that are used by businesses and consumers the world over. Regardless of the nature, size, and domain of business, applications have come to occupy a central place. It is not used just by tech companies. Even small cupcake businesses have websites. CRMs and ERPs are used across industries.

It is important to note that traditional, downloadable applications have become passé or at least, less common. Instead, web applications, which are cloud-based and can be accessed seamlessly across multiple devices from anywhere, are widely leveraged by businesses and preferred by customers.

The expectation from these applications is that they be uninterruptedly accessible 24×7 to users, allowing seamless data transfer and frictionless usability. As a result, voluminous data is contained in web applications (from sensitive customer information and business data to Intellectual Property and financial data).

The large volumes of data aside, there are other factors that have made web applications high-value targets for attackers.

• The connected and constantly evolving nature of web applications has added multiple layers of complexity to application security.
• The complexity of source codes has increased the likelihood of vulnerabilities and misconfigurations going unnoticed and unattended, providing gateways for attackers.
• Several third-party components, open-source codes, moving parts, and shared infrastructure are used, making application security hinge on how safe these components are.

When web applications are attacked/ made unavailable by malicious actors, significant disrepute is brought to the business causing the brand image and goodwill to erode. Even major players like This apart, there is the burden of massive financial, post-incidence, and legal costs involved. This is why web application security is critical for businesses of all kinds.

How Does Web Application Security Significantly Improve Overall Security?

It is critical to secure all the components of a business’ infrastructure, be it – Network, Data, Storage, and privacy factors. Upon closer introspection on how most of these infrastructure components are consumed, it is most likely that they are consumed via web applications.

For instance,

• A document management system will be accessed through an online URL via a browser to access a document.
• Email systems are available through the online corporate portal that is integrated with mail servers.
• CRM systems for sales management are accessed via a website URL.

Hence, a significant volume of the threats and risks faced by the business can be secured through the fortification of the security of web applications. So, if adequate steps are taken by businesses to secure their web applications, they are essentially making a huge leap forward in protecting their company and mitigating their risks significantly.

It is critical to note that the intention of this article is not to say that just strengthening web app security by following application security best practices is enough. The intention is to highlight the need to make web application security a top business priority, in addition to network security, data security, and privacy controls.

Conclusion

Given the rising popularity and complexity of web applications, as well as, their growing centrality in the digital infrastructure, application security must become a top priority for all businesses, over and above network security, data security, and privacy controls. Continuous and holistic security can be ensured by following the application security best practices and leveraging the services of a managed and intelligent security solution like AppTrana.

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