Author Login | Popular Articles | RSS Feeds | Sitemap

Home | Computers-and-technology


Dealing with the Threat of an SQL Injection Attack

By: Groshan Fabiola

One of the biggest security issues present in ASP and PHP is the SQL injection. The thing with ASP and PHP is that they have flaws that let web developers make unintentional mistakes in creating SQL queries, leading to vulnerabilities in security. These are easy to fix, but do require some tinkering and research.

Preventing SQL Injections

An effective way to prevent SQL injections is to validate all user inputs thoroughly, identifying meta-characters so you can filter them all out. You must place filters properly so they can remove anything that is not known good data. Utilizing account lockout policies can also help by safeguarding your system from brute-forcing.

Always remember that security validation must be done server-side and never through client-side authentication methods like JavaScript since it can be bypassed by simply turning off JavaScript in the internet browser.

As with numeric input like age, telephone number, credit card number, and so on, values should be processed through special functions to make sure that the entered value only has numbers in it, as well as spaces if necessary. It would do good to limit the number of characters allowed to what is necessary also just to be sure. Do the same with dates, integers, and floats to leave no holes, or just have them in drop-down boxes. If selected through a drop-down box you should still validate the input as a hacker could submit their own html to the server using a text/hidden field instead of a dropdown. Remember that just because your form only lists valid values in a drop-down or radio-group or tick-box, a hacker can still submit any value they want for that field. You should assume that all input fields (regardless of type) can be submitted to the server as if it's any text value.

For string inputs, on the other hand, it may be necessary to have certain meta-characters allowed. For example, people would have names like O'Neil, so you need to set the apostrophe (single quote) as allowed. In such scenarios, the name should be accepted and perhaps replace the quote with two quotes before putting it into the database just to be safe. It would be helpful to limit the number of characters like with numerical values since an unlimited number of characters can be utilized by someone who is planning to initiate an SQL injection attack.

Threat Management and Damage Control

You can clean up your code as thoroughly and as obsessively as you want, but you will still need assurance. The solution to this problem isn't free, but is a good long-term investment, especially if your database has very sensitive data like bank account information, contact numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and so on. In these cases, an SQL injection tool is required to help you with the process.

The best thing you can get is a trusty SQL injection scanner to detect any attacks whenever possible. These are enterprise-level applications available for companies to install onto their servers, so you don't have to worry much about client-side implications other than making sure that customers can still enter data correctly.

If ever there really was an SQL injection attack, you will have to remove that filth. That is where an SQL injection removal program comes in. Usually available with the SQL injection scanner as a suite, it can be used for damage control so that you can still secure whatever precious data there may be while removing the threat from your system. This is definitely a must-have for emergencies, which makes it a worthwhile investment.

With your SQL injection tool in hand, you can increase security of your website's database exponentially, thwarting any injection attempts from cracking through. Combining this with careful prevention, you can make sure that data is secure, no matter what. You cannot rely too much on your SQL injection scanner to tell you what's wrong and your SQL injection removal software to take care of mishaps. Prevention is always better than cure.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
For more resources about sql injection tool or even about sql injection removal please review this web page http://www.sqlinjectionscanner.com

Tags: , ,
| Print | Ezine Ready | |

Recent Computers-and-Technology Articles

  • Reasons to Buy a New Computer By: Caitlinaa Fuller - I am really pleased that there`s so much options for Computer Recycling in Maine. Our household has loads of computers and we have decided to get rid of all of them and start again by buying some good new ones. It sounds a bit extravagant but we have had them all for so long that there is something wrong with all of them. Some are just too big, others too old, some too slow and some have massive problems with them.
  • 3 Ways To Back Up Your Computer By: Matt Rizos - Let's face it, backing up those important documents are something you know you need to do; however it's just not getting done. You're either too lazy or you don't know how to do it. When I work with my clients I always hear them say "Gosh, I really need to backup these files but I'm just not sure what the best way to go about".
  • The Cybermagic of Whitelists By: vipin01 - Before we start getting deep into the meat of this article it's important to explain some standard terminology to make sure the rest of this article makes sense. *An IP address is a number which identifies your location on the Internet. *A blacklist is a list of IP addresses which your antispam software uses to block incoming spam. *A whitelist is the exact opposite of a blacklist.
  • Registry Repair Software For Vista And Xp By: james tame - If you are searching for registry repair software for windows vista or windows xp then i will be able to point you in the right direction! There are plenty of registry repair software for windows vista and windows xp floating around online, but the problem is finding the software that will actually work like it is supposed to and don't destroy your registry and wipe out system files that it's not supposed to.
  • Don't Use Free Registry Cleaners! By: james tame - Whatever you do, don't use free registry cleaners software, read this honest report about free registry cleaners to find out the consequences of using free registry cleaners software! Free registry cleaning software will ruin your computer by deleting important registry entries that are essential to run your computer and these free registry cleaners will also stop half way through the clean and make you pay for the license to use it to complete the clean! If you don't pay your pc is ruined!
  • How IT consulting can help with business optimization and promotion By: Ian McLellan - In today's changing business environment, IT consulting is one of the most needed services. All the business niches are saturated with a high level of competition and unlike before consumers today have a wide range of options to choose from. Such a high level of competition has made every business to rethink its promotional strategies and business optimization efforts. Conventional methods are not good enough to handle this high level of competition. We really need something more substantial.
  • Importance Of Power Transformers By: davin justice - Electricity or power has become the major part of our daily life and without electricity we cannot imagine a life today. Most of our household appliances work on electric current. We face various power problems due to voltage fluctuations. Sometimes our home appliances malfunction due to voltage problems. The solution for all these problems can be rectified only through a transformer.
  • Pros and Cons of flash template and web templates By: Ko Fai Godfrey Ko - Website templates are ready-made HTML or Flash page with source code, which can be used by web builders instantly to fill in their own content, image files, company logo, color theme and links. As website development is becoming more and more important for today's business including small firms, the use of website templates is becoming more popular as they can offer different varieties of color schemes and designs, at much lower cost than hiring a web designer to do a custom web design.
  • Scooters: Three Wheels or Four? By: Mel Carver - One of the most common types of mobility scooters are those that were manufactured and produced with four wheels. They are able to go forwards, backwards and of course left and right. For quite a while they were considered to be very useful and helpful, and many people appreciated the efficiency and convenience that devices like them offered to the individuals that needed the assistance. However, over time, as technology advanced, individuals began to start expecting more of all their technologically backed items, including mobility scooters.
  • Mobility Scooters: The Advantages of Four Wheels By: Mel Carver - In stores, we will often come across experiences wherein we observe an individual that is sitting down in a scooter and going about their shopping process. Sometimes there is a basket attached to the scooter and other times there are not. We will see them move up and down the aisles, and for the safety of themselves and others they will often beep when they are backing up in order to alert others.

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Custom Search
Add to Google
ArticleSnatch Authors:
Member Login Sign Up Submit Articles FAQ Submission Guidelines Top Authors
For Publishers:
Most Popular Articles Ezine Notifications Article RSS Feeds Terms of Service
For Everyone:
Blog About Us Link to Us Contact Us New Stuff Link Directory Privacy Policy Sitemap Resources
Our Sites:
Free Magazines Book Your Hotel Stay Free MySpace Tools Massive Video Collection Broadband Speed Test
Click here to submit your free, permanent ads to TheFreeAdForum.com!

Submit Your link to the Open Link Directory Project

Copyright 2005-2008 MJE Sales, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Proud member of the ArticleCkr Search Network Search Network!
ArticleSnatch.com is free for both publishers and authors to use and is supported entirely from advertising revenue.
Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.