Why Web services threats require application-level protection

Let's review how Web services function, why hackers have started to prey on them and what organizations can do to mitigate this threat.

How Web services function
Web services allow other Internet-connected programs to interact with them by making certain functionalities accessible to other applications. They can range from a complex customer relationship management (CRM) system to a simple stock quote feed. They are built using a collection of protocols and standards such as XML, XML Schema, WSDL (Web Services Description Language) and SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), many of which are still evolving, and as with most new technologies, security issues are often overlooked in the early stages of adoption.

Web services vulnerabilities
Web services face a lot of the same vulnerabilities that Web applications do, such as SQL injection and session theft, but unlike traditional Web page interfaces, Web service programs are far more open, often connecting to core enterprise applications and data. This significantly increases their risk profile and makes them a very att

To continue reading for free, register below or login

Requires Membership to View

To gain access to this and all member only content, please provide the following information (all fields required):

First Name:
Last Name:
Country: Select... Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote D'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia, The Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, North Korea, South Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Man, Isle of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Panama Canal Zone Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu U.S. Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
Email Address:

I would like to receive a FREE subscription to Information Security magazine online.
YesNo

Do you manage, evaluate, recommend, implement, support or purchase security products, software or services?
YesNo

Please estimate the yearly security budget for your entire organization including all security products and services.
Please select... Over $10 Million $5 Million-$10 Million $1 Million-$4.9 Million $500,000-$999,999 $100,000-$499,999 $50,000-$99,999 $25,000-$49,999 $10,000-$24,999 Less than $10,000 None

What is your role in purchasing IT related products and services? (Check all that apply)
Technical decision maker
Financial decision maker
Recommend/Specify
Evaluate products
Implement Products/Services
Determine Needs
Create Security Strategy
None

By joining SearchSecurity.com you agree to receive email updates from the TechTarget network of sites, including updates on new content, magazine or event notifications, new site launches and market research surveys. Please verify all information and selections above. You may unsubscribe at any time from one or more of the services you have selected by editing your profile or unsubscribing via email.

TechTarget cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy

Web services threat protection
To mitigate Web services threats, enterprises that run Web services should deploy application-level firewalls that can examine XML-based messages. There are some firewalls on the market today that can enforce XML structural rules and validate schema, perform XML virus-checking and protect against XML denial-of-service attacks (XDoS); if available, use them. Additionally, your developers should also be educated on the additional XML-related attack vectors that Web services are vulnerable to, mainly:

Here are some additional rules organizations can use to reduce potential Web services risks:

About the author:
Michael Cobb, CISSP-ISSAP is the founder and managing director of Cobweb Applications Ltd., a consultancy that offers IT training and support in data security and analysis. He co-authored the book IIS Security and has written numerous technical articles for leading IT publications. Mike is the guest instructor for SearchSecurity's Web Security School and, as a SearchSecurity.com site expert, answers user questions on application and platform security.

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchSecurity.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. BROWSE BY TAG Web Security Advisor,   Application and Platform Security,   Web Security Tools and Best Practices,   Web Services Security and SOA Security,   Application Attacks (Buffer Overflows, Cross-Site Scripting),   VIEW ALL TAGS Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us    RELATED CONTENT Web Security Advisor DNS rebinding defenses still necessary, thanks to Web 2.0 New defenses for automated SQL injection attacks PCI compliance and Web applications: Code review or firewalls? Worst practices: Bad security incidents to avoid Web scanning and reporting best practices Social networking Web site threats manageable with good enterprise policy Enterprise security in 2008: Building trust into the application development process PCI DSS Section 6: A plan for tackling application security Making the case for Web application vulnerability scanners Preparing for uniform resource identifier (URI) exploits Web Services Security and SOA Security Cryptographers say cloud computing can be secured Information security book excerpts and reviews Will cloud computing and virtualization save the day? MySpace, Facebook ignoring basic principles of security Kaminsky: DNS flaw capable of attacks on many fronts Kaminsky on DNS rebinding attacks, hacking techniques Which operating system can best secure an FTP site? IBM's Watchfire halts network research, focuses on Web apps How does identity propagation work? Citrix adds Web security with acquisition Application Attacks (Buffer Overflows, Cross-Site Scripting) Month of Twitter Bugs project to document Twitter flaws Adobe issues first quarterly patch release fixing 13 flaws Balancing security and performance: Protecting layer 7 on the network Adobe issues Reader update fixing zero-day flaw The Pipe Dream of No More Free Bugs Security Squad: Federal cybersecurity defenses Oracle issues 43 updates, fixes serious database flaws Attackers target new Microsoft PowerPoint zero-day flaw How to detect input validation errors and vulnerabilities Vulnerability test methods for application security assessments Application Attacks (Buffer Overflows, Cross-Site Scripting) Research RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary buffer overflow  (SearchSecurity.com) cache poisoning  (SearchSecurity.com) cyberterrorism  (SearchSecurity.com) dictionary attack  (SearchSecurity.com) directory harvest attack  (SearchSecurity.com) distributed denial-of-service attack  (SearchSecurity.com) JavaScript hijacking  (SearchSecurity.com) ping of death  (SearchSecurity.com) stack smashing  (SearchSecurity.com) SYN flooding  (SearchSecurity.com) RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.