Security and audit

What is a website security audit?

It is no secret to anyone that the current economic situation is now dictating new rules of competition. Today, not only large companies resort to the war of technologies, cyber spying and destructive actions, but even small and medium-sized businesses. It is due to numerous security audit benefits.

A website security audit is a range of works for detecting errors in the website code and server software, which attackers can use to attack and hack the website.

Hackers can do it for a benefit and work for themselves or for someone who orders their services.

Why do you need a security audit?

Today, it is difficult to imagine the effective operation of a web resource without an audit of its security. This innovative procedure allows you to identify the web page weaknesses and ensure your project is protected from the damage that competitors or intruders may cause. The KATASIS specialists will help to protect your website from hacking better than any other security and audit agency, making it a reliable and secure web resource. If you analyze the operation of your website in time, this can prevent the leakage of confidential information and its use by ill-wishers. We give our clients only the best security and audit solutions for their websites’ security.

Our company carries out a professional security audit for websites, which make it possible to determine errors in the website’s security in the shortest time possible. In addition, our detailed reports on the work done and the results obtained will allow you to make valuable conclusions for improving your project’s efficiency. The following elements of the security audit process are among the most important ones:

• Checking the website code and server software for vulnerabilities;
• Port scan;
• DNS security testing;
• Search for broken links;
• Checking the web resource’s resistance to hacking attempts;
• Detection of a malicious website code;
• Detailed reports describing the work done and recommendations for improving the website’s efficiency.

Stages of a security audit

• At the first stage, we search for a malicious code and eliminate it.

• We carry out the website security audit in the standard operating mode.

• We partially or fully study the tested website’s code.

• We conduct the website security audit of third-party components, CMS, Framework, etc.

• We research the server software security.

• We prepare the information security audit results and make offers for the elimination of vulnerabilities. If necessary, we coordinate plans for the subsequent stages of cooperation.

• At the last stage, we eliminate all detected vulnerabilities, which ensures complete protection of your website

Comprehensive website security audit should include:

1. Operating mode security research. The study allows you to fully assess the resource’s security level. During the study, a variety of options and methods of hacking and attacks on the resource are modeled.
2. Partial study of the website’s code. Investigation of the website’s code is a prerequisite for conducting a comprehensive security audit in cases where testing in the operating mode cannot detect a vulnerability in a website’s specific script / module / section, etc.
3. Third-party components security research. Most websites use third-party components in their work, such as media players, sliders, WYSIWYG editors, etc.
4. Management system security research. We check CMS, Framework, etc. for ready-made solutions that exploit certain vulnerabilities.
5. Publishing security research. We check correct website publishing. In open access, there are often backup, system, test and other files containing confidential information.
6. Security research of software and server settings. We verify the proper server software setup. We find out whether server software is able to use public methods, hacking and attacks.

Penetration testing methods

Search in open sources

The tester uses the black box method and is completely unaware of what the attacked object looks like from the inside, because otherwise hacking would be an extremely trivial task. Therefore, the tester preliminary collect information.

Protective equipment detection

If you have security software on your website (intrusion prevention systems, protection against DDoS, firewall), it can make the hacking a lot more difficult, so it must be detected. Usually special programs are used for this

Using standard vulnerabilities

Before starting to search for zero-day vulnerabilities, study the web application’s logic and architecture, the tester checks the website’s resistance to conventional attack methods. For example, this may be the use of a known exploit for the engine’s old version.

Non-template approach

When well-known methods do not help, testers try to circumvent the existing protection or detect a vulnerability by combining all the above-described methods and his own understanding of security systems.

If your website successfully passes testing for all standard types of threats, the test can be considered successful. A more detailed and in-depth study of hacking methods is conducted only for very large projects, which can attract high-class hackers who are able to detect new security gaps.

Security audit results with KATASIS

The result of any security audit is a document that should include:

1. Information on the methods used in the process of audit.
2. We develop the concept of a hacker, his potential goals and motivation.
3. Description of attack scripts developed and implemented by testers.
4. Detailed reports on all found vulnerabilities.
5. Recommendations for their elimination.

A high-quality audit is a very effective solution for finding weaknesses of a website and its server. The KATASIS web studio offers the best security and audit services and guarantees that your website will be well protected against hackers and malicious code.