February 2, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Web hosting providers underestimate web application security threats, it was reported recently. Web application firewall specialist Applicure (http://www.applicure.com) suggested a lot of web hosting customers are “unprotected against the newest forms of attacks as cyber crime tactics evolve”.
According to the company, “hundreds of thousands” of website operators rely on their hosting provider to ensure web applications are safe. The recent SQL injection attack that affected 70,000 websites and 10,000 websites found in December to be harboring malicious code, show hackers are still exploiting web application vulnerabilities.
“Popular entry routes for attacks now focus on web applications including message boards, forums and registration forms, which puts websites of every kind right in the firing line,” explained Applicure’s CEO, Yaacov Sherban. “With many web applications virtually unprotected, it's easy for hackers to deface or shut down the website, or else manipulate the applications to reveal sensitive data. For web host providers all it takes is one customer website to be breached and the whole server, with thousands of hosting customers, can be wide open. Naturally, hosting companies cannot be expected to scan and patch vulnerabilities in their customers' applications. The good news is that security technology has advanced to the point where attack monitors and specialized web application firewalls can be deployed within minutes, and the additional security is provided to customers as a value added service.'
Sherban added, 'What makes this new technology special is that it detects and intercepts suspicious traffic before it gets to the customer's site, potentially preventing an attack that would otherwise lead to a damaging breach.'
