Application security, sometimes referred to as appsec, is the practice of securing applications from attack or unauthorised access. This includes ensuring applications are secure against both external and internal threats. Application security can refer to both the software and hardware layers of application protection.
Forms of application security include:
• Access controls: These limit who has access to applications, allowing only authorised users to access them.
• Authentication: This process verifies the identity of users attempting to access protected applications.
• Authorization: This determines what actions users are allowed to take on applications, such as viewing, creating and editing.
• Encryption: This is the process of scrambling data so it is unreadable to anyone without the proper credentials.
• Firewalls: These act as a barrier to malicious intrusion, blocking unwanted connections.
• Intrusion detection systems: These detect attempted breaches and alert system administrators.
• Patching and updates: Regularly updating software and its components can help reduce weaknesses or bugs in an application.
• Security monitoring: Keeping track of what is happening on a system, such as user activity, can help identify security threats.
• Source code analysis: Examining source code can help identify potential security vulnerabilities in applications.
Application security is becoming increasingly important as attackers become more sophisticated and threats become more complex. By focusing on application security, organisations can safeguard their data and ensure users are not compromised.
