Store and Secure Sensitive Data in Web Applications

Software security is utterly essential. A secured web application is the most essential requirement for any online business. If the web application has any security vulnerabilities, it’s prone to attacks.

Before a web application host is hosted on a web server and exposed to the external world, it must be secured properly. Architects, developers, database administrators - everyone plays a key role in choosing the most secure mechanisms suitable for a particular application. Testers with expertise in cyber security should perform security tests on the application. Whatever security measures that are going to be implemented, should be reviewed thoroughly and should conform to industry best practices.

Understanding the necessary data that needs to be stored and encrypting them is one of the most important things to be followed by every web developer. Securing data is the most significant aspect of application security. These data can include any information like:

• Passwords
• Encryption keys
• Passphrases
• Credit card numbers
• OAuth tokens
• Personal contact information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, user accounts, physical addresses, etc

Data security involves the security of: Data-at-rest, Data-in-transit and for storing these data, the right storage mechanisms should be chosen.

How to secure this sensitive information?

Authentication : Authentication is the process of recognizing the identity of a user. Traditionally, authentication was accomplished by the systems or resources by using a combination of username and password to authenticate a user. User authentication takes several forms, but all are based on the combination of authentication factors.

Access control : The purpose of authentication is to let the application know who you are, thus by identifying the identity, privileges are given to users. Access control, grants the necessary privileges, described as discretionary or non-discretionary. The access control models grant access privileges to users based on the work that they do within an organization.

Encryption : There are many ways for encrypting data at rest and data in motion. Data can be encrypted in many ways - Full disk encryption of data at the disk level, Directory level (or Filesystem), File level and Application level.

Refer the blog for more information : https://beaglesecurity.com/blog/article/how-to-store-and-secure-sensitive-data-in-web-applications.html