Best Practices for Secure Web Design and Development: Building a Strong Foundation

Cyberthreats loom in every nook and corner of the internet. Businesses are paying hefty sums to ensure that they stay away from cyber threats as it causes irreparable damage to their business. By the year 2025, the cost businesses are spending on web security will multiply heavily. This is where secure web design and development practices come into play.

The first thing that needs to be taken into consideration is the expected functionality of a website. The security best practices for design and development can only be finalized after assessing the functionalities properly. For example, if the site is expected to perform financial transactions, the security measures will be different and directed toward payment gateway security.

Let’s check out some of the best practices for secure web design and development!

Common Web Design and Development Security Threats  

In this digital age, every business is using web applications in one way or the other. While everyone is focusing excessively on security, there are lapses causing total disruption of the system. Some of the common web design and development security threats are mentioned below:

Credential Stuffing

This is a type of security lapse where hackers get access to credentials from online data breaches. With this, they can easily log in to the web application seamlessly. Also, this leads to credential compromise for numerous websites. This is because there are always users who use the same password and credentials for most of their online accounts. Such large-scale logins can ultimately crash a website completely.  

Brute Force Attacks

This is a lot similar to credential stuffing. However, in this, the hackers do not get the credentials; rather, they try and guess the combination of usernames and passwords to log in. Cybercriminals try out a wide variety of different passwords and usernames to try and overload the application with requests.  

SQL Injection

In SQL injection, hackers use SQL code to manipulate the backend of the database to access all the private information. They also get access to various sensitive business data and crucial personal information of customers. The most concerning part about SQL attacks is that they can completely offer the administrative rights of the application database.

Cookie Poisoning

Cookies are generally used for a large number of sites to store information on the web browser. In cookie poisoning, the attacker gets access to cookies that are used by a specific web application. They further go ahead and change the cookie to steal all the data that the user has stored in the application. With millions of users using cookies to store data, this becomes a pressing concern in web design and development.

Secure Web Design and Development Best Practices

As discussed above, there are lethal security concerns for every web solution, and every web design agency in NYC is searching for ways to deal with it. However, there are certain best practices in web design and development that can help dodge these malicious attacks. They are:

Conduct Security Threat Assessment

Each web app comes with its own set of perks for businesses. So, when it comes to cyber threats, each business will face its own unique challenges. Before diving into the development process, it's crucial to assess these threats, considering both their potential impact and the likelihood of them happening. Once you've got that sorted, it's time to prioritize and put in place the right security measures before your launch.

Keep in mind that there's no such thing as foolproof security in the digital realm. You've got to acknowledge that there's always some level of risk involved when it comes to cybersecurity. However, by sticking to the best practices for securing web applications, you can significantly slash the chances of these threats wreaking havoc on your systems.

Add Input Validation

One big concern in web security for web apps is injections. Essentially, sneaky individuals can slip in some tricky data through the channels meant for interacting with the app (like user input fields). Then, they can pull off some code execution either on the server-side or in users' browsers, opening the door to a security breach.

To tackle this, modern web frameworks for app development have got your back with input data validation. It's like a bouncer at the door, making sure only the right stuff gets through.

But here's the catch: sometimes, developers tweak or turn off this safeguard. So, if you want your app to stand strong against injection attacks, you've got to ask your partner web design and development company to keep this input data validation front and center when writing any custom code.

Manage Permissions Effectively

It's a bad idea to give users unrestricted access to everything in your IT system. Instead, users of your app should only get the permissions they absolutely need for their day-to-day tasks. If someone needs extra permissions in a pinch, you can grant them temporarily, but make sure to snatch them back as soon as they're not needed anymore.

And here's a couple more things to keep in mind: if someone's been inactive for a while, like on a long break, it's wise to suspend their account. And when someone leaves the company, don't forget to disable their account altogether. These steps are crucial for keeping your web app safe from any sneaky folks who might try to pull a fast one by pretending to be an employee and getting access to all your precious data.

Add Credibility

Following standard web practices can really boost your site's reputation. Simply put, it helps build trust with your visitors. Having a trustworthy site is key to aiming for a top-notch user experience.

One of the best ways to earn that trust is by being upfront and honest about what you offer. Don't make people hunt around your site trying to figure out what you're all about. Make it crystal clear right on your homepage, and take some space to explain why your product or service is valuable.

Here's another trust-building tip: include a pricing page, easily accessible from your homepage. Instead of making people jump through hoops to find out how much things cost, lay it all out there. Being transparent about pricing makes your business look more credible and reliable.

Implement Robust Encryption

Start off by using simple but effective technologies like HTTPS and HSTS encryption, but remember, there’s more to it.

Make sure to also use SSL encryption for any user data that's being sent to or received from the server. While HTTPS does a good job of keeping those sneaky "man-in-the-middle" attacks at bay, it's not the whole picture if someone manages to get their hands on your server.

And that "someone" could be just about anyone, from a system admin to a former employee. Even in those situations, to safeguard your data, you'll need to beef up your security with encryption and hashing.

Conclusion

The importance of secure web design and development cannot be overstated. With cyber threats constantly evolving and businesses increasingly reliant on online platforms, implementing robust security measures is imperative. By adhering to best practices such as conducting thorough security assessments, implementing input validation, managing permissions effectively, adding credibility to your site, and implementing robust encryption, businesses can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches. These proactive measures not only protect sensitive data but also foster trust among users, ultimately contributing to the long-term success and credibility of the business in the ever-changing online environment.

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Created on Mar 7th 2024 03:59. Viewed 87 times.

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