API3:2023 represents a nuanced security challenge where improper or absent authorisation checks allow attackers to access or manipulate sensitive properties of an object within an API. Unlike broader access control issues, this risk focuses specifically on granular authorisation, which determines the visibility or modifiability of individual object properties.
Improper platform usage refers to the failure to properly use security features provided by mobile platforms, such as Android and iOS. Both operating systems offer robust security mechanisms that, when properly utilised, help safeguard mobile apps from common attack vectors. However, improper configuration or ignoring these features can lead to critical vulnerabilities, which can be easily exploited by attackers.
When testing mobile apps, penetration testers must focus on how these platform-specific features are being leveraged. Whether it’s improper handling of APIs, weak authentication methods, or ineffective data storage solutions, improper platform usage can leave significant security gaps in an otherwise well-constructed app.
In the fast-paced world of software development, ensuring secure user authentication and session management is of paramount importance. As businesses become more dependent on digital platforms, the potential for cyber threats targeting authentication mechanisms increases significantly. These attacks can have far-reaching consequences, including data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage. For software developers and architects, understanding the nuances of authentication and session management failures is essential to safeguarding user data and maintaining trust.
In the modern digital landscape, authentication is the gateway to securing sensitive information. For users to access personal or organisational data, their identities must be verified, ensuring that only authorised individuals can perform actions within an application. Session management plays an equally crucial role, ensuring that once a user has authenticated themselves, their session remains secure from external threats.
Cryptography is the science of securing information and communications by encoding data so that only authorised parties can access it. Cryptographic mechanisms underpin various corporate processes, from securing customer data and enabling secure transactions to protecting intellectual property and ensuring secure internal communications. As businesses digitise their operations, cryptography becomes a cornerstone of data protection and regulatory compliance.
Cryptographic failures occur when encryption mechanisms fail to secure data as intended. This can happen due to flaws in cryptographic protocols, poor implementation, or the use of obsolete algorithms.
Cyber-espionage involves the illicit gathering of sensitive data and intelligence through cyber means, often conducted by or for nation-states seeking strategic advantages over rivals. This form of cyber attack targets confidential business information, government intelligence, intellectual property, and personal data to:
– Undermine a competitor’s market position,
– Influence policy and decision-making,
– Gain technological and commercial insights, or
– Disrupt operations.