Application Security in the ISO27001 Environment

Chapter 6. Attacks on Applications

In this chapter we will look at some of the common attacks on applications and their effects. The object of this chapter is to show you how easy many application layer attacks are.

Application-specific attacks can be targeted at a specific user or at a large mass of users at one time. These attacks are, increasingly, the preserve of automated ‘bots’^[24] that scan as many systems on or linked to the internet as possible with an eye to exploiting flawed or vulnerable applications. The financial implications of these exploits, the loss of reputation, the resultant downtime and the lost productivity can be high.

We discuss various application level attacks by simulating these attacks with the help of a ‘Demo Bank’ ...