The mmost effective security measures to counter dangerous vulnerabilities

A security vulnerability is a weakness in a system that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access, steal information, or damage a company’s IT infrastructure. Below are the Top 10 most common security vulnerabilities according to OWASP that businesses need to be aware of:

Top 10 web application security risks according to OWASP

• Broken Access Control (A01:2021): Insufficient access control allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or perform administrative tasks. Prevention involves implementing RBAC and the principle of "least privilege."

• Cryptographic Failures (A02:2021): Sensitive data is not securely encrypted, making it vulnerable. Strong encryption algorithms and strict key management are essential solutions.

• Injection (A03:2021): Untrusted data is inserted into systems like SQL or LDAP, causing invalid commands. Preventative measures include using parameterized queries and input validation.

• Insecure Design (A04:2021): Systems are designed without considering security, leading to hard-to-fix vulnerabilities. Security should be integrated into the design phase.

• Security Misconfiguration (A05:2021): Improper or unadjusted configurations lead to vulnerabilities. It’s necessary to apply correct security configurations and conduct regular audits.

• Vulnerable and Outdated Components (A06:2021): Outdated software contains known vulnerabilities. Regular updates and patches are critical.

• Identification and Authentication Failures (A07:2021): Flaws in authentication and session management. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and secure session management.

• Software and Data Integrity Failures (A08:2021): Failure to verify the integrity of software and data. Solutions include using digital signatures and securing the CI/CD pipeline.

• Security Logging and Monitoring Failures (A09:2021): Poor logging makes it hard to detect attacks. Establish a high-quality logging system and real-time monitoring.

• Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (A10:2021): Attackers force the server to perform unauthorized requests. Strong control and network isolation are required to prevent it.

Below are the common strategies and solutions that businesses should implement to minimize the risk of security vulnerabilities.

1. Strengthen Security Early (Security by Design)

Security must not start only after the application or system has been deployed. A key principle in security is "Security by Design," meaning security must be considered from the system’s design stage. This helps businesses identify potential risks and vulnerabilities early in the development process and implement appropriate protective measures.

For example, during software development, developers should apply measures such as:

• Establishing a Security Testing Process: Security testing must be continuously performed throughout development to detect vulnerabilities as early as possible.

• Using Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools: These tools help detect security vulnerabilities in the source code during the coding phase.

• Applying the Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure only necessary access rights are granted to each user or system to minimize attack risks.

2. Conduct Regular Security Audits

Regular security audits are essential to ensure the system remains safe from new threats. Frequent audits help detect new vulnerabilities or weaknesses in system configurations that could be exploited.

• Vulnerability Scanning: This method scans the system to detect security vulnerabilities. Tools like Nessus, OpenVAS, or Qualys are commonly used to scan for vulnerabilities and provide detailed reports on system weaknesses.
• Penetration Testing: This process simulates attacks to test the system’s defenses. Through PenTesting, experts can check the system’s security against external attacks.

3.Implement Security Automation

As cyberattacks become more sophisticated and the number of vulnerabilities grows, automating security is necessary to reduce risk. Automated tools help businesses quickly detect and resolve vulnerabilities, minimizing damage when incidents occur.

• Automated Security Testing: Integrating automated tools into the CI/CD pipeline helps detect vulnerabilities in each release version. Tools like OWASP ZAP or Burp Suite can be used for automated security testing.

• Patch Management: Automating the update and patching process of software and system components helps reduce vulnerability risks from outdated software.

4. Educate and Raise Security Awareness

Technical measures are not the only important aspect; the human factor also plays a key role in system security. Many attacks exploit vulnerabilities not from systems but from people—for example, phishing attacks. Therefore, it’s crucial to train and raise security awareness among employees, from developers to end users.

• Regular Security Training Programs: Training on phishing, recognizing fraudulent emails, and protecting personal information.

• Building Strong Security Policies: Implement strong password management policies, such as requiring complex passwords, periodic password changes, and deploying multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect user accounts.

5. Access Management

Effective access management helps minimize risks from vulnerabilities like Broken Access Control or Identification and Authentication Failures. Businesses should implement access management measures such as:

• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Grant access based on specific roles, ensuring no one has more access than they truly need.

• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding an extra layer of protection to the authentication process, especially when accessing critical or sensitive systems.

6. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) Security Technology

Web Application Firewall (WAF) is advanced security technology that protects web applications from vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and File Inclusion, preventing unauthorized access, data theft, or service disruption.

WAF acts as a shield between users and web applications, analyzing and filtering suspicious requests to block attacks targeting the application layer (Layer 7) of the OSI model. WAF not only detects common attack behaviors but also protects against malicious bots, automated bots, and invalid crawlers. Notably, WAF allows for customized security rules tailored to specific application needs, ensuring optimal system protection.

WAF's common operating model

VNIS (VNETWORK Internet Security) is a comprehensive security solution developed by VNETWORK. In addition to blocking DDoS attacks with scales of thousands of Tbps, VNIS also focuses on preventing dangerous security vulnerabilities in business applications and systems.

In the face of attacks exploiting vulnerabilities, VNIS acts as a "steel shield" helping businesses minimize the negative impacts on their information systems. This platform can automatically detect and block serious security vulnerabilities listed in the OWASP Top 10, such as Broken Access Control, SQL Injection, and Cryptographic Failures. With over 2,000 security rules and the ability to manage CRS (Core Rule Set), VNIS protects websites from unauthorized access and data breaches. These security rules are updated monthly, accompanied by an intuitive interface that allows businesses to flexibly customize according to specific security needs.

Moreover, VNIS provides real-time monitoring of exploited vulnerabilities, helping businesses accurately identify exploited URLs or compromised controls, allowing them to proactively patch vulnerabilities and prevent potential attacks.

VNIS operating model

VNIS operates as an intermediary layer between users and a company’s origin server. When a request is sent from a user, VNIS analyzes and processes these requests through two main protection layers:

• First protection layer: Designed with CDN to distribute and reduce traffic load, especially in cases of sudden traffic spikes, while also blocking invalid requests from unauthorized sources. This ensures effective DDoS protection.

• Second protection layer: Beyond blocking malicious bots/crawlers, this layer focuses on more detailed analysis of access requests, particularly those targeting application vulnerabilities. VNIS uses security rules to detect and block vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and CSRF.

The VNIS platform from VNETWORK, integrated with leading CDN providers (Multi-CDN) worldwide on a single platform, gives VNIS robust system capabilities and flexible scalability. Its vast infrastructure, with over 2,300 PoPs (Points of Presence) globally, increases load capacity to over 2,600 Tbps, with domestic uplink bandwidth reaching 10 Tbps, handling more than 8,000,000 CCU (Concurrent Users) and processing over 9 billion requests per day.

VNETWORK’s expert team is present in many countries such as Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and the UK, combined with a comprehensive SOC system that provides continuous 24/7/365 monitoring and early incident detection. This ensures system stability even under attack. VNIS’s robust system, running on Multi-CDN, mitigates downtime risks and ensures 99.99% uptime, along with an SLA commitment to customers.

Deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) is a crucial step in protecting systems from today’s dangerous security vulnerabilities. Thanks to its ability to detect and block web application vulnerability exploits, WAF not only ensures the safety of web applications but also helps businesses maintain the security, integrity, and availability of data and systems in a challenging network environment.

The VNIS platform – A comprehensive WAF solution helping businesses effectively prevent security vulnerabilities and cyberattacks. Contact us today to experience the VNIS WAF security solution at Hotline: (028) 7306 8789 or email us at contact@vnetwork.vn.