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Internet security has become a hot topic of debate today, and it really comes as little surprise as the large amounts of devastating malware attacks users are experiencing all around the globe. With the advancement of technology, so has the complexity and sophistication of malware grown to the point where people have needed to take drastic measures to safeguard their devices and personal information against such malicious threats. Ideally, your data security is only as strong as your weakest security link. As long as you can work to overcome the emergent security threats, you can protect your business’s reputation and gain a competitive advantage in your industry. Is it an easy task? No, it isn’t. Keeping up with current security threats requires a keen eye and an adept IT team, but leaving things to chance is never an option. The trick is to build a robust risk assessment program and to apply the necessary security controls

Two Emergent Threats and Their Solutions

Zero-Day Exploits

A zero-day attack is simply an attack that exploits unidentified vulnerabilities in your business’ systems. IT teams barely have enough time to patch the vulnerability, and often have to work towards fighting against attacks to regain control. While it can be possible to stop some attacks before they even happen, it is difficult to fight against something that you barely know exists. Even worse, some software updates might expose your business to vulnerabilities, which at times results in zero-day exploits. Patching these vulnerabilities before they can turn into an attack is essential, especially considering that zero-day attacks are becoming more refined. To solve the problem, IT teams need to watch out for vulnerabilities in their company’s systems constantly.

Warshipping Is Becoming a Major Threat

Warshipping is a simple phishing threat in which hackers use the mail delivery system to launch their phishing attacks. They attach remote-controlled devices to packages that they send out to organizations and use these devices to access an organization’s network remotely. Once in the network, they can collect credentials and make costly changes to your data.
Worst of all, it might take some time for the inattentive IT teams to identify the looming threat. Start by asking employees to have their personal packages delivered at home, not at work, as this reduces the chances of an attack. Quarantine packages delivered into your premises, and place them in an area that has little to no access to the corporate network.

Such packages should be scanned for any threats before the recipients accept them. Lastly, be on the lookout for unsanctioned Wi-Fi devices that may connect to your network or any rogue wireless access points that employees can confuse for your business’ network.

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Two Vulnerabilities All Developers Should Know About

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

XSS vulnerability only occurs when you fail to filter information getting to your SQL server. As a result, cybercriminals may execute harmful codes on end-users without their knowledge. If you fail to  mitigate this risk , the criminals will hijack your sessions, misuse your website cookies, install malicious programs, or spoof your content.
This attack has the potential to destroy your business! It can lead to altering of information on your products, misleading messages to your email list, or harvesting of crucial data from your clients.
There exist three types of XSS vulnerabilities. This section highlights various tips for protecting your app from the risks.

File Upload
Malicious individuals can target the file uploading process to access your end-user window. They achieve this by injecting a malicious script into your HTML codes. The script is executed whenever the file is opened and can lead to incredible damage to your organization. Such criminals will take over the operation of your website and attack your clients with unsolicited demands leading to loss of your reputation.

SQL Injection

This is characterized by the use of malicious code injections with the aim of your database. Cybercriminals will inject an SQL query through the client’s input to the app. This results in the following:

• Interfering with your data
• Disclosing your private data
• Data destruction
• Spoofing your identity
• Invalidating transactions