Securing Your Custom Web App: What Every Small Business Should Know

When you’re looking to expand your business and reach new heights, a custom web application can be a great next step forward. But a web app that isn’t secure can quickly become a liability instead of an asset.

With their flexibility, customization, and ability to help you reach new audiences, it’s no surprise that web apps are becoming increasingly popular for small businesses. But it’s easy to forget about security when building one.

Whether it’s bad code, vulnerable servers, or other weaknesses, a web app can be an easy target for hackers, especially with how many cybersecurity threats there are floating around today.

To help overcome these security challenges, let’s break down common issues companies face with their web apps and how you can minimize these problems ahead of time.

Why Web Apps Are Prime Cyber-Attack Targets

The more that technology evolves, so do cybersecurity threats. Hackers are getting smarter, and custom web apps are becoming one of their prime focuses – especially those used for small businesses.

Here are a few key reasons small business web apps are higher likely cybersecurity targets: 

• Custom code – While having a web app that’s tailored to your business is great, it also opens the door for more issues in the backend. The more plug-ins and third-party apps you have attached to it, the more room there is for hackers to sneak in.
   

• Private data – Most web apps handle private information inside them, such as customer data, payment methods, and company information. This is valuable info that hackers look for, and the more you have the more they want in.
   

• Limited in-house expertise – Most small businesses don’t have a full in-house IT team focused on system upkeep and cybersecurity. Because of this, it’s easier for hackers to remain hidden, fly under the radar, and cause disruptions before someone tries to step in.   

Top Security Risks

While most of the cybersecurity threats web apps face are similar to other technology – such as websites or software – they are still big dangers that can cause major issues for your business and audience. Whether it’s in the backend, the web app setup, or even user error, there are common web app security risks that you should be aware of so you can handle them early.  

• Backend vulnerabilities – Outdated code, plug-ins, and integrations are prime targers for hackers because their vulnerabilities are more widely known and their defenses are easier to break through. 
   

• Poor access control – Whether it’s not requiring strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, or not having different user roles, poor access control makes it easier for hackers to gain access to accounts and see everything in your system. 
    

• Weak APIs – By not having proper validation on your web app, you’re exposing endpoints that can lead to easier access for people with bad intentions. 
   

• Lack of input validation – By not having validation checks in place for data or login information, it’s easier for an attacker to input bad code into those fields that can manipulate data or even allow them access into your web app. 
   

• Misconfigured Servers – If your server or software is not set up properly and securely, you can unintentionally expose private data, both to the public and to hackers.  

Essential Security Measures to Implement

To be as protected as possible, you want to ensure you have all the necessary cybersecurity protections in place for your web app and company as a whole. These will minimize your risk for cyber-attacks, while also ensuring that if something ever does go wrong, you can quickly tackle the problem and get back to business without losing everything.

Here are six key things you should do with your web app to increase your security level: 

1. Conduct regular security audits: By continuously monitoring for bugs and security problems, you’re more likely to catch something before it becomes an issue.
2. Use secure hosting: Installing an SSL certificate on your site and ensuring you have a secure server further protects any data that is inputted into your web app and system.
3. Require strong authentication: From secure password policies (like regular updates and high-level criteria) to multi-factor authentication, this will help secure your user accounts and make it harder for the wrong people to access them.
4. Implement firewalls: These will scan your web app’s traffic before it actually lands on your site, helping keep malicious people away before they reach the site.
5. Use secure coding practices: Having good input validation, clean databases, and secure API endpoints will help protect the backend of your site, so things are secure at the source.
6. Stay on top of updates: Old systems are easier targets for hackers, so you want to make sure you’re either allowing automatic updates so things stay current or routinely checking for updates and pushing them through when needed.  

Security isn’t a one-time setup when building your web app. It’s an on-going process that you have to keep up with over time to ensure your business, your employees, and your customers are protected.

To help keep your web app safe, train your employees on basic cybersecurity, conduct regular reviews, have an incident response plan, and work with a trusted IT team so you know you’re doing things the right way.

Web apps are a great tool for businesses – but don’t let bad security practices become the reason yours is a hinderance.

How We Can Help

As an IT service provider, we work with small businesses to tackle all their IT challenges – including cybersecurity. Whether you need someone to come in and look things over or want a full-service partner that handles all your IT needs, our team is here for you.

Send us a message and we’ll set up a free consult to learn more about your business, then get to work building a plan that works for you and sets you up for success.