OWASP Top 10 2021: Threats and Defense Strategies

For developers and IT professionals, staying ahead of the latest threats is critical to protecting web applications and sensitive user data. The OWASP Top 10 represents a compass in this sea of ​​pitfalls, providing a clear and up-to-date overview of the top 10 web application security risks.

In this post, we will explore the 10 risks listed in the 2021 OWASP Top 10, providing a description of each threat and highlighting its potential impact.

The 10 Computer Pirates of OWASP 2021: Enemies to Be Defeated

• Broken Access Control (OWASP-A01:2021): Imagine a castle with doors open to anyone. This is what happens when access control is poorly managed, allowing attackers to access sensitive data and functionality. Would you ever leave the door of your house open to anyone? This threat has risen from fifth to first place in the last 4 years.
• Cryptographic Failures (OWASP-A02:2021): Think of your data as a precious treasure. If the encryption protecting them is weak, it’s like having a safe with a faulty lock.
• Injection (OWASP-A03:2021): Imagine malicious code injected into your body. This is what happens when a web application is vulnerable to injection, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code. On the bright side, four years ago, this threat topped the top 10!
• Insecure Design (OWASP-A04:2021): Building an application without considering security is like building a house without a solid foundation. Attackers easily exploit design flaws to infiltrate. It is the first new entry in the ranking and directly in 4th place, a sign that it is time to review the principles on which we design our applications.
• Safety Misconfiguration (OWASP-A05:2021): Imagine a car with its safety settings turned off. Such negligence even in the configuration of a web application can have serious consequences.
• Vulnerable and Outdated Components (OWASP-A06:2021): Using outdated software is like sailing the internet on a sailboat in a storm. Attackers exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated components to attack applications. Up from ninth to sixth place.
• Identification and Authentication Failures (OWASP-A07:2021): Securing the front door of a web application is critical. If authentication mechanisms are weak, attackers can easily get in as if they had the keys.
• Software and Data Integrity Failures (OWASP-A08:2021): Ensuring software and data integrity is like having a tamper-proof safe for your digital assets. If data is altered or software compromised, the consequences can be serious. Second new entry of this edition.
• Security Logging and Monitoring Failures (OWASP-A09:2021): Imagine you have a security camera that records nothing. If security events cannot be monitored, it becomes difficult to identify them and respond to incidents in a timely manner. Up one position compared to 2017.
• Server-Side Request Forgery (OWASP-A10:2021): This risk allows an attacker to trick a server into performing an unwanted action on behalf of an authenticated user. Third and final new entry.

From OWASP 2017 to OWASP 2021

We can make a comparison between the OWASP Top 10 of 2021 with that of 2017 and we can draw several interesting considerations.

Persistence of some threats: Some threats consistently remain in the top 10, highlighting their severity and the need for continued attention from developers and IT professionals. Among these we find:

• Broken Access Control (A01): This threat rises to the top spot, demonstrating that mishandling access permissions continues to be a common weakness in web applications.
• Injection (A03): Injections, which allow attackers to execute malicious code, are confirmed as a persistent threat, falling to the lowest step of this podium: more work needs to be done.
• Vulnerable and Outdated Components (A06): Using outdated software with known vulnerabilities exposes applications to serious risks, as evidenced by the continued presence of this threat in the top 10.

New threats and landscape changes: Alongside the threats already present in 2017, the 2021 OWASP Top 10 includes new entries and changes in position that reflect the evolving cyber threat landscape:

• Insecure Design (A04): The importance of secure design early in development is recognized as this threat enters fourth place in 2021.
• Software and Data Integrity Failures (A08): Very related to application design. We not only need to design applications securely, but ensuring data integrity is also critical.
• Server-Side Request Forgery (A10): This new threat moves right into tenth place in 2021, highlighting the emergence of new attack vectors that require attention.

Analysis of these two rankings offers valuable insights for developers and IT professionals, allowing them to focus mitigation efforts on the most current and persistent threats, ensuring greater security for their web applications.

Adopting a proactive, risk-based approach, supported by appropriate tools and technologies, is key to staying ahead of evolving cyber threats and protecting web applications effectively.

How to defend yourself: concrete strategies and the role of Artificial Intelligence

So what? one might say… what, concretely, can and must we do to mitigate these risks, well aware that we will never be able to have zero risk? Let’s see, however, what measures we can adopt and above all how Artificial Intelligence can help us.

Strategies

• Take a proactive approach to security: Security is not a goal, but an ongoing process that requires constant commitment. Implementing security measures early in development and taking a proactive approach to risk management is critical to minimizing vulnerabilities and preventing attacks.
• Keep software and components updated: Software vulnerabilities are a prime target for hackers. Regularly applying security patches and updates for all components used, including frameworks, libraries and operating systems, is essential to reduce the risk of attacks based on known vulnerabilities.
• Validate and sanitize user input: Injections remain a constant threat. Thoroughly validating and sanitizing all user input from forms, cookies, HTTP headers, and other sources is critical to preventing the execution of malicious code within your application.
• Implement rigorous access controls: Managing access permissions in a granular way, granting users only the privileges necessary to perform their tasks, is essential to limit the impact of a potential attack. The use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control (RBAC) techniques are two excellent allies to further increase security.
• Use strong encryption: Protecting sensitive data, both in transit and at rest, using secure, up-to-date encryption algorithms is critical to preventing unauthorized access and data breaches.
• Conduct regular penetration tests and security scans: Automated vulnerability scans and manual penetration tests conducted by cybersecurity experts can help identify and fix potential security issues before they are exploited by attackers.
• Adopt monitoring and logging solutions: Monitoring security events, recording failed login attempts, and analyzing system logs can provide valuable information to identify anomalous activity and respond to incidents promptly.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence

AI can play a vital role in strengthening the security of web applications. What’s more, it could prove to be our most valuable ally in the fight against these threats. Let’s see how.

• Automated vulnerability analysis: AI can automate (and therefore speed up and refine) the analysis of source code and configuration data to identify potential vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
• Intrusion and attack detection: AI can analyze network traffic and user behavior patterns to detect anomalous activity that could indicate an attack in progress. With continuous training, AI could become capable of identifying potential attacks even in real time.
• Update and patch management: AI can automate the process of identifying, downloading and installing security patches and updates for software and components.
• User training and awareness: AI can be used to create personalized training programs for users, helping them recognize and counter phishing and malware threats. Let’s not forget that, ultimately, it is the human being who is the weak link.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence solutions into existing security strategies can significantly improve the ability to prevent, detect and respond to cyber threats, ensuring more robust protection of web applications and sensitive data.

By combining a proactive approach to security with the strategic use of Artificial Intelligence, developers and IT professionals can build more secure and resilient web applications, navigating the sea of ​​ever-evolving cyber threats with greater confidence.

F.A.Q.

Question: How can Artificial Intelligence be used to improve cybersecurity training and awareness for users?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers a range of innovative tools to improve cybersecurity training and awareness, making learning more effective, engaging and personalized.

Some concrete examples include personalized training programs and realistic simulations of attack scenarios, continuous learning and gamification to increase motivation to learn, behavior analysis and risk identification.

Integrating these AI-based solutions into cybersecurity training and awareness programs can represent a real leap in quality, allowing you to reach a wider audience, increase the effectiveness of learning and create a culture of security more solid and widespread information technology.

Lastly, Artificial Intelligence promises to be a precious ally in the fight against the cyber threats of the future. Investing in training and the development of AI-based solutions is essential to creating a safer and more informed digital world for all.

Question: What are challenges and barriers to widespread adoption of AI solutions for cybersecurity?

We can group them into two large categories, depending on their nature: technical-organizational and ethical and social in nature.

The first group certainly includes the lack of adequate skills, integration with existing systems and, obviously, costs and investments which are certainly not trivial. In the second, however, we find legitimate concerns about privacy and transparency, the security and reliability of AI systems, which are still extremely young, and a cultural change that brings with it natural resistance.

In addition to these challenges, it is also important to consider the fact that AI is still a recent and evolving technology. As technology develops, new challenges and barriers are likely to emerge and need to be addressed.

However, the potential benefits of AI for cybersecurity are immense. With a careful and thoughtful approach, AI can help us build a safer digital future for all. Investing in research, development and staff training is critical to overcoming these barriers and unlocking the full potential of AI in combating the cyber threats of the future.

Disclaimer: All images inside this post have been generated by Artificial Intelligence (Stable Diffusion)

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