Over the past decade, millions of businesses have embraced web applications as an inexpensive way to build relationships and transactions with prospects and customers. But while they provide the opportunity for greater customer insight and efficiency, web applications also have vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals. One of the most common and devastating of these is a web attack.

A web attack is a form of cyberattack in which the attacker impersonates others to access sensitive information or carry out malicious acts, such as taking credit card numbers, or other personal data. Common types of web-based attacks include Structured Query Language injection (SQLi) Cross-site scripting (XSS), and file upload attacks.

In a SQLi hack, hackers insert custom Structured Query Language (SQL) commands into a field important source on a website or in a web-based app to steal private information stored on the database server that is backend. In an XSS, hackers inject malicious code into a web app or website, which is then executed by the victim’s browser without verification or encryption. The attack can take over the victim’s session, show non-authorized images or texts or redirect them to a fraudulent website.

The best way to defend against an attack via the internet is to perform regular vulnerability checks, and then apply patches to your website along with its web servers and any databases underlying. It is also a good idea to create an incident response plan to ensure that should an attack occur it can be quickly discovered and addressed. You should also be able to detect web attacks by noting warning signs, such as slowing of networks and intermittent website shut downs.