Introducing Web Application Security
Abhay Bhargav, B. V. Kumar · 2010
Information is perhaps the greatest asset for any organization. In today’s highly connected world, the Web plays a crucial role in information interchange. Web applications facilitate millions of business transactions every day involving sensitive information over the Internet superhighway. Cybercriminals have understood the power of Web applications and are technically proficient at accessing sensitive information that is stored, processed, or transmitted by these applications. Therefore, these Web applications are under constant attack and attackers have incessantly been exploiting Web application vulnerabilities to steal sensitive information for their own financial gains. Web application security is the need of the hour, as Web applications continuously are the victims of major security breaches the world over and this trend is likely continue. This chapter delves into the reasons for a strong Web application security practice and the challenges faced by organizations and individuals in protecting Web applications. This chapter also discusses several Web application security incidents that have shaped the evolution of Web application security.