A web server is a computer system that delivers web pages to users who request them, usually through a web browser. Web servers are frequently targeted by hackers, therefore their security is critical. In this blog post, we will discuss the importance of web server security, common vulnerabilities, how to secure your web server, and the top web server penetration testing tools.
Understanding What a Web Server Is?
A web server is a computer system that distributes online content to clients who request it, usually through a web browser. The web server may be on the same machine as the web browser or on another machine elsewhere. When a user enters a URL into their web browser, they are requesting a specific file from the web server.
Understanding What Web Server Security Is?
The goal of web server security is to protect your web server from attacks. There are a variety of different types of assaults that can target your web server, therefore you should take precautions to secure them. Some common attacks include SQL injection attacks, DoS attacks, and cross-site scripting.
Importance of Web Server Security
The importance of web server security cannot be understated. In today’s age, web servers are often the target of attacks due to the wealth of information they contain. If an attacker is able to gain access to your web server, they could potentially steal sensitive information or even take control of the server itself. This is why it’s important to take steps to secure your web server and keep it safe from potential attacks.
Why Do You Need Web Server Penetration Testing for Your Company?
One of the best ways to ensure that your web server is secure is by performing regular penetration testing. Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks on your system in order to find vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. By finding and fixing these vulnerabilities before they are exploited, you can greatly reduce the risk of an attack on your web server.
Web Server Common Vulnerabilities
SQL Injection Attacks
Web site defacing attacks are one of the most prevalent types of assaults on web servers. These assaults utilize SQL database vulnerabilities to the utmost. By injecting malicious SQL code into these vulnerable applications, attackers can gain access to sensitive data or even take control of the database itself.
DoS Attacks
A Denial of Service assault is a tactic to render a computer or network resource inaccessible to users. These attacks can be performed by flooding the target with requests or by crashing the system entirely. DoS attacks are often used as a way to distract from other, more serious attacks that are happening at the same time.
Cross-Site Scripting
Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a web application security problem that arises as a result of injecting dangerous code into a website. When an adversary delivers malevolent code to a website, XSS vulnerabilities occur. This code is then run by the browser of any user who visits the page, allowing the attacker’s code to be executed. XSS may be used to steal personal information or hijack user sessions.
Secure your Web Server with Regular Web Server Penetration Testing
As we’ve seen, web server security is important and there are many different vulnerabilities that web servers can be susceptible to. One of the best ways to ensure that your web server is secure is by performing regular penetration testing. Penetration testing simulates real-world attacks on your system in order to find vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. By finding and fixing these vulnerabilities before they are exploited, you can greatly reduce the risk of an attack on your web server.
Web Server Security Major Attributes
Disabling The Web Server Signature
One attribute of securing a web server is to disable the web server signature. A web server signature is information returnable from the web server including the name, version and patch level of the operating system, web server software and web scripting language. By disabling the web server signature, this information is not readily available to an attacker and makes it more difficult for them to find vulnerabilities to exploit.
Hardening A Security Web Server
Another attribute of securing a web server is hardening the secure web server. Hardening a security web server includes many different steps such as changing default passwords, disabling unneeded services and protocols, and restricting access to only trusted users. By taking these steps, you can make it much more difficult for an attacker to gain access to your web server.
Utilization Of Security Fasten Tools
There are many different tools available that can help you secure your web server. Some of these tools include web application firewalls, web server hardening scripts, and web server security scanners. By using these tools, you can help to secure your web server against many different types of attacks.
Top Web Server Penetration Testing Tools
There are many different web server penetration testing tools available. Some of the most popular tools include:
Astra Security
The Astra website is indexed by a number of security tools, including Astra antivirus and pentest utilities, which can run over 3000 security checks to identify cybersecurity flaws. Astra also provides you with key learnings that you can act on right away.
Astra provides a malware scanner that checks the scripts on your site. Astra’s website blacklist checker, on the other hand, is very good at locating the most important security flaws that have resulted in Google’s blacklisting of your site. It can search for you across more than 66 blacklists.
Astra Pentest is a top-notch pen testing software with a strong vulnerability scanner and manual penetration tests.
Nmap
The Network Mapper acronym is a free and open-source tool that aids in vulnerability testing and network discovery. It’s primarily used by system administrators to discover which devices are operational on their networks.
Nmap, a security scan tool that is often used in penetration testing, can also be used to fingerprint open ports and assess cyber risk. It’s worth noting that Nmap may be utilized to monitor broad networks as well as single machines.
Arachni
Arachni is a feature-rich and high-performance Ruby framework that’s primarily intended to assist with pentest work. It also enables administrators to analyze the security of current web applications. Note that it may be used for a variety of purposes, from simple command-line scan utilities to worldwide high-performance grids. It is based on the Ruby library, which allows for automated audits.
Conclusion
In conclusion, web server security is important to prevent attacks on your web server. There are many different ways to secure your web server, including disabling the web server signature, hardening the web server, and using security tools. By taking these steps, you can help to prevent attackers from gaining access to your web server.
