por What is it and why is it important? hardening of web servers for cybersecurity?
For cyber defense in depth, Effective security measures must be in place for all elements of a system. Therefore, in most cases, cybersecurity is addressed through the articulated protection of the following layers:
The network perimeter. The device. The applications. The data.
For each layer there are different techniques and tools that serve to eliminate errors and increase their security levels to the maximum.. However, it is safe to say that no cybersecurity measure is sufficient on its own, given how complex systems are today.
In other words, There is no single tool that serves to 100% protect a network perimeter, a device, an application or a data chain. However, it is possible to use sets of tools and tactics to ensure optimal levels of security and response to attacks.
In this post, we will talk about one of the techniques that a member of the Blue Team must learn in order to maximize the security level of a web application. Next, we will explain what is the hardening of web servers and what are the main elements to take into account for this process.
Web server hardening
He hardening Web server management is a cybersecurity defense technique that consists of making sure that the configuration of a server is completely secure.. The reason to do hardening of web servers is important because many security flaws are found in the default configurations of the servers.
Web servers are programs that allow establishing a relationship between clients and servers for the exchange of **** requests and responses.. These software They are essential for the development of web applications and attackers can find vulnerabilities in them. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare web servers as if they were going to be attacked by a hacker. To do this, it is recommended to keep the following configuration elements of these servers in mind.
Setting
Now that we have seen what the hardening of web servers, we will talk about what those are server configuration elements to take into account for this process.
Enable the logs access in order to have a record of interactions with the web server. This will be useful for forensic analysis, in case of cyber attacks against the application or the server. Disable **** Trace & Track requests.
Do not use the user root, since it has privileges to execute any type of commands and applications on the server. Therefore, attackers can use it to perform harmful tasks against servers, applications, and their clients.
IP address restrictions specific.
Disable outdated SSL versions (SSLv2 and SSLv3).
Disable in directory listing so that the attacker is not allowed to easily map the application’s attack surface. It is a very common error that serves to enrich the amount of information that attackers collect when studying the application.
Removing unused application moduleswhich expand the attack surface and can accumulate outdated or security flaws.
Use Web Application Firewalls (WAF), which, as their name suggests, are special firewalls to regulate traffic in and out of a web application. This way, users cannot make malicious requests to the app.
Update of all softwaresince older versions have known security flaws, which are very easy for attackers to exploit.
Certificate Transparency database monitoringwhich has real-time information about web application certificates and, in this way, allows you to verify the trustworthiness of sites and hunt for threats.
Proactive Security vs. reactive
He hardening of web servers is considered a proactive security technique, since it seeks to prevent the success of the thousands of cyber attacks that are attempted daily on the network. It is highly effective to invest in proactive security for systems and applications, as they save a lot of time and money in damages. Nevertheless, This does not mean that reactive security is not necessary. He hardening of web servers is essential, but it must be combined with effective response methods against cyber attacks.
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