Prioritising Website Security

The biggest risks with access control, are the people who are rightfully given access to the websites in the first place. People are prone to errors and sometimes do not follow security protocols, and in the process, leave a website exposed to security vulnerabilities at the hands of hackers. What often happens is that people are tricked by hackers, into providing access to a website’s system through bait in emails and promotional links.

There is a popular attack method that takes advantage of vulnerable users, through access control, called a brute force attack. In a brute force attack, the hacker attempts to bombard a website with possible username and password combinations, until they gain access with credentials that work.

The data to use in a brute force attack may be obtained from continuous trial and error, until a match is found by means of a specialised script. Alternatively, the hacker may compile a list of passwords based on the words used on the website itself. This is why it is prudent to always use strong passwords.

Other access control methods also exist, including a method called Phishing where users are tricked into providing login information to malicious agents, through a false copy of a website, or via email.