As businesses increasingly move their essential applications to the cloud, cybercriminals are targeting these software systems more than ever. Recent data reveals that in 2023, eight out of the top ten breaches were application related. Business-critical applications, that handle sensitive data such as customer information and intellectual property, are particularly at risk due to vulnerabilities and poor configurations.
Identifying Business-Critical Applications
These applications are fundamental to a company’s operations, often generating revenue and processing large amounts of sensitive data. Examples include stock trading platforms, e-commerce sites, and healthcare software. Identifying these applications is the first step toward securing them.
Configuring a Secure Digital Infrastructure
Securing the infrastructure hosting these applications involves:
- Network segmentation
- Firewalls
- Regular patching of operating systems and virtual machines (VMs)
- Cryptography
- management
Isolating digital assets and applying strict access controls reduces the risk of breaches. Regularly updating systems to patch vulnerabilities is crucial, whether managed by the cloud provider (PaaS) or by the end user (IaaS). Encryption of data and protection of secrets like SSH keys further enhance security.
Restricting Access Permissions
Limiting access to individuals with a business need significantly reduces the risk of compromise. Implement role-based access control (RBAC) for internal applications and ensure users only access relevant parts of the application. Protect access tokens and enforce token expiration to prevent unauthorized access. Regularly revoke access for users who no longer need it.
Proactive Monitoring for Suspicious Activity
Implement robust monitoring solutions to detect and stop suspicious activities. Use runtime protection agents on servers to detect common attack indicators such as persistence and lateral movement. Real-time insights allow security teams to intercept attacks before data exfiltration occurs.
Improving Security Testing in the Development Pipeline
Shift security left by integrating vulnerability scanners into the development process to identify and fix security bugs early. Ensure imported open source packages do not contain common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs). Regular security testing in development reduces risks in production.
Resolving Immediate Risks in Production
Analyze the current risk posture of business-critical applications, focusing on misconfigurations and vulnerabilities. Understand trust boundaries and data flows to assess the impact of potential exploits. Prioritize securing public-facing services and APIs transmitting sensitive data.
Monitoring Changes to Production
Track changes to data flows and APIs to manage their impact on security. Small updates can introduce significant risks. Monitor for new and changing CVEs in open-source libraries used in applications. Maintain a constant measurement of production risk posture to respond quickly to dangerous changes.
CrowdStrike’s Role in Securing Applications
The AI-native CrowdStrike Falcon® platform supports comprehensive protection of business-critical applications, from detecting cloud misconfigurations to managing application security posture and providing runtime protection.
By following these steps, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of compromised business-critical applications and protect their sensitive data from cyber threats.
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Garrison, J. (2024, February 9). How to secure business-critical applications. CrowdStrike. https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/how-to-secure-business-critical-applications/